Category Archives: Charity & Selfless Service

Sandton City Shoppers Urged to Donate School Uniforms and Stationery

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As part of its commitment to its extended community, Sandton City has launched a school uniform and stationery essentials collection drive, urging shoppers to donate anything from shirts to pants, from socks to shoes, and stationery items to help learners in Alexandra Community start their year off on a high note. Aimed at making learners’ schools journey more meaningful, the centre started the collection with the first 400 sets of stationery and hopes that shoppers will get behind the initiative that has the potential to make a real difference.

Any individual stationery items, such as pens, pencils, rulers, erasers, notebooks and crayons, are welcome. Alternatively, pre-packed sets are available from Checkers and CNA in the centre. The collection boxes are located in front of back-to-school specialists Checkers, Jet and Woolworths and will be emptied regularly until 31 January, when the items will be handed over to the non-profit organisation Rays of Hope, well known for its incredible work focused on uplifting the youth in Alexandra.

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ROOKIE USA Donates R50 000 to Reach for a Dream Foundation

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Rookie USA is known for it’s love for helping children as much as they can. Their annual donations brighten even the dimmest of smiles.

Rookie USA partnered with well-known influencers and friends of the brand to contribute to the amazing donation of R50 000 to the Reach For A Dream Foundation.

“Reach For A Dream seeks to alleviate the strain that life-threatening illnesses place on sick children and their families by providing these dreamers with the opportunity to believe in their greatest wish. The Foundation has been providing dreams to children all around the country for 33 years and counting. These young children are under extreme pressure to deal with these medical issues and are in desperate need of encouragement. In addition, Reach For A Dream offers the child a magical moment to regain their childhood that is being lost to an illness.”

“The foundation is grateful to have partnered with Rookie USA in the journey to inspire, give hope, strength, and courage in the lives of our dream children” says Natalie Lazaris, Business Head for Reach for a Dream Foundation.

Rookie USA is a kids-only, multi-branded premium retail destination, now in South Africa. It is a retail experience focused on kids from the ages of 0-20 years old ranging from apparel to accessories and footwear. Rookie USA offers consumers a collection of iconic brands including Converse, Nike, Jordan, Hurley and Levi’s to provide a complete head-to-toe kid’s experience.

Check out Rookie USA’s website www.rookieusa.co.za and Instagram page @Rookieusa.za. 
#RookieZA

New DiDi ride-hailing service takes a front seat in SA vaccination drive

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DiDi, the Chinese ride-hailing service that started operating in Gauteng at the start of September, will subsidise approximately R1.5 million worth of trips to help get the people of South Africa to and from vaccination sites in Gauteng, Cape Town and Gqueberha.

DiDi will launch a vaccination drive in three provinces on 27 September 2021, offering 36,000 vouchers. Eligible riders that are registered on the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) and DiDi’s Vaccine application system will get a return voucher that will entitle the qualifying riders to a R40 discount on their trip (total value of R80) and will expire 30 days after receipt.

DiDi is committed to playing its part in helping South Africans get vaccinated against COVID-19. Carina Smith-Allin, DiDi’s Head of PR and Communications for Sub-Saharan Africa, explains that a lack of accessibility to vaccination sites should not be the reason preventing South Africans from getting vaccinated. “Committed to our goal of being much more than just another ride-hailing service, DiDi has taken the initiative to launch our own vaccination drive.”

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Halls gives creativity a space to breathe

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Karabo Poppy and Mentees

A true artist doesn’t just create art: they breathe their passion into their work and give it a life of its own. Now, Halls is creating a place where artists can breathe for their craft.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people turned to the things that they cared about most for comfort in the face of uncertainty – passions like food, music and art. Now, in a world that’s slowly returning to normal, people are looking to brands with the question, “What are you passionate about?” Halls – South Africa’s #1 boiled candy – exists to help people breathe better so that they can focus on the things that really matter. That’s why Halls is founding The Breathing Space: a dedicated hub in the centre of Johannesburg where up-and-coming artists and designers can breathe for their craft and bring their flavour to life in the freshest ways, under the guidance and mentorship of Mzansi’s creative queen, Karabo Poppy.

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Trace Academia Launches Free Online Vocational Training Platform in South Africa

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Trace, in the presence of the honourable French Minister Elisabeth Moreno and South African partners, has formally announced the inauguration of Trace Academia in South Africa, and the signing of a protocol of cooperation between Trace, Senghor University in Egypt, and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), to create a training programme to develop and support the professionalization of the creative and cultural sector in Africa.
 
Elisabeth Moreno, the Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities together with the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Trace, Olivier Laouchez and Trace Academia Co-MD, Prejlin Naidoo, launched the company’s latest youth empowerment programme.

Trace Academia is a free online vocational training platform built for young South Africans looking to build their skills to find or create jobs. Created in response to the high rate of youth unemployment in South Africa and the continent, Trace Academia will focus on empowerment through educating and training young people.
 
More than 50% of Africa’s population is under 25 years old. The youth are struggling with the effects of a longstanding economic and psychological crisis. The reach of the global pandemic has further accelerated the need for new approaches to education.
 
Trace Academia courses are created in collaboration with leading companies, institutions and experts to ensure that the skills provided are well matched to market needs. A localised, interactive and entertaining course format keeps the learner’s attention and significantly improves course completion rate.

Trace Academia will primarily target young South Africans in its inaugural year. The platform will launch with several locally produced training courses including Get Started with Digital Marketing (Grow with Google), How to Become a DJ (Trace), Spark your Interest in Electricity (Schneider Electric), Become a Successful Entrepreneur (Valued Citizens & UJ), Become a Real Handyman (Leroy Merlin) and Own Your Situation (Durex). Trace Academia will take the learner through the journey towards skill acquisition.

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