After years of successfully enabling people and organisations to connect with one another, local ICT consultants and mobility specialist, Mint Management Technologies, “Mint”, decided that it was time to start considering a different kind of connectivity - connecting on a community level. This prompted the founding of a new CSI initiative for Mint, where small acts and spare change are used to make great things happen.
Mint.unity is a collaborative concept developed by Mint's employees, with the objective of making a difference for those in need, one step at a time. “One of our core beliefs is to put people first,” says Carel du Toit, Mint's new managing director and chairperson of the Mint.unity initiative.
“This project supports this on two levels - first of all, by taking a genuine and sustained interest in the people that make up our immediate community; second, by offering our own staff the opportunity to make a real difference - which is a truly empowering experience.”
Mint made a conscious decision that Mint.unity would not be just about giving money away, but rather be a means of creating a genuinely empathetic culture that lasts long after the cheque is signed. While most beneficiaries are cash strapped and in need of funding, they also need hands and physical time, which can be expensive.
Many of its projects, such as painting classrooms at a nearby primary school or giving the grounds at a local children's home a cheerful facelift, need man hours to execute. “Through Mint.unity, we effectively donate a full day of each staff member's time every quarter to take part in any one of the company's designated projects. Everyone is encouraged to take part in whichever project appeals to them the most and a formal date is set aside to carry out these commitments,” says Yvonne Dias, Mint's shared services director. “We are not a large company, but this small gesture from each individual equates to around 200 man hours of time per quarter for our charities, excluding whatever time is donated by our staff's friends and families who are also welcome to take part.”
In addition to much needed time, Mint has pledged a further 5% of its profits to help generate funding for its community projects. This pool is supplemented with additional income raised through various employee-driven fundraising campaigns, and pays for materials for various project as well as direct requests such as new soccer nets for an underfunded government school, an ongoing feeding scheme at a primary school, and educational bursaries for school leavers in need of a helping hand.
Mint.unity is open to local charities or organisations that drive initiatives for disadvantaged or underprivileged communities, the sick, the elderly, children or animals in need of assistance - financial or otherwise. While those in close proximity to Mint's office in Bruma, or in nearby areas are preferred, involvement is not necessarily restricted to these areas.
“We have a formal application procedure for support and every case is considered on merit. If we are in a position to help, we do so,” says Du Toit. “We have also asked our three adopted charities to provide us with a 'wish list' of items that they really need. These lists are circulated within our company so that further voluntary donations can be made, with phenomenal results. The whole thinking behind the project is that it's not about the size or the expense, but just the fact that everyone is doing something.”
The project's mission maxim is: “One action, one minute, one thought, one deed - makes a massive difference,” and it's certainly living up to expectations.
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Mint
Mint is a Microsoft exclusive information, communication and technology business partner, which consists of two operating entities, namely Mint Consulting, which focuses on providing services and consulting skills, and Mint Mobility, which focuses on independent software vendor products and mobile R&D.
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