Wipro (NYSE:WIT), a leading global IT, consulting and business process services company, has donated R100 000, to the Slovo Centre of Excellence (SCE), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Johannesburg. The donation will be used to help disadvantaged children.
Located near an informal settlement with nearly 5 000 residents in Slovo Park, situated on the boundaries of the Crosby and Coronationville suburbs of Johannesburg, the SCE is an aftercare facility that offers educational support programmes for disadvantaged children.
The facility provides orphans and vulnerable children with a warm cooked meal every day, constructive educational support, and it encourages children to participate in sports activities. The programme helps the children improve their proficiency in English, mathematics and science, while providing them with emotional and social support.
Wipro made the contribution at the ninth edition of the company's "Spirit of Wipro Run", an annual global event that involves thousands of employees, their families, friends, customers, analysts and suppliers, running together on the same day at different locations across the world, in September last year.
Commenting on their association with Wipro, Lorraine Cockrell, Founder of Slovo Centre of Excellence, said: "Through the ongoing financial sponsorship, Wipro has enabled us to fund our operational budget and embark on some much needed renovations to the premises. The funding also makes it possible for the centre to continue the outreach work with the children. The SCE understands that the youth of today are the future of South Africa. We invest in these children not only to transform their lives, but also to assist in the general upliftment and creation of a positive impact on the society."
"There are 150 children registered with the SCE, from ages two to 17, who love to attend the SCE's after-school care programme. We want to thank Wipro for their support that makes it possible for us to continue with the important work we do with these children," added Cockrell.
Shilpa Yohannan, Head HR-Africa, Wipro, said: "The SCE is a grassroots project, and Lorraine, who is contributing much of her own personal time and money in order to make a difference in the children's lives, inspired us to support the initiative. The project is very structured and has a growth path to follow under Lorraine's leadership. Furthermore, we at Wipro encourage each and every employee to look beyond financial success and extend support to create a positive impact on the society. It is our philosophy of 'making a difference' that resonates with the vision of the SCE."
Lorraine Cockrell founded the SCE project in 2005 in response to the needs of the disadvantaged community from the informal settlement. The organisation is dependent on donations from corporates such as Wipro who assist them to further build and support the facility and its programmes. The SCE programme offers support through its after-school programme, school holiday programme, nutrition support, remedial classes and spiritual programmes.
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