DataCash South Africa is aiming to raise R100 000 for charity this year through a hands-on community support initiative driven by its employees.
“The cause and effect of the lives we lead is taking its toll,” says Alana Ferguson, group HR manager at DataCash South Africa. “Animals and people less fortunate need help, so DataCash and its employees want to raise R100 000 during 2012.” The money raised will be distributed among three selected charities, just in time for Christmas.
“We are very conscious of community needs and supporting underprivileged communities. The staff had actually selected the three charities themselves in 2011, as they were closest to their hearts,” says Ferguson.
The charities were selected because they support three important segments of the community. Nazareth House supports the homeless, elderly and sick; Animal Rescue, in association with African Tales, is centred on providing veterinary care for indigent people's animals; and Little Lambs supports children and impoverished mothers in the greater Cape Town area.
“This initiative has been great because it has tasked every single department within the company to focus and raise funds for a minimum of the one month in the year that their department is responsible for this - it means all staff are more involved,” says Ferguson.
“Any support would be great - if other companies would like to make donations towards the next department's event, we would be very grateful. In return, we would include their business links on our CSI Internet page for a period of time, as well as include their brand names when we hand over the cheques to the three charities at the end of the year,” says Ferguson.
According to Ferguson, the competitive fundraising efforts have created a fantastic energy in the company, getting all staff involved and boosting morale.
“We don't accomplish anything alone in this world; we have to have a cause, a bigger purpose, not only as an organisation contributing to an economy, but as people to our fellow neighbours and the animals who accompany us on the journey.”
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