Old Mutual staff volunteerism programme is changing communities for the better

Moses Matlawe is this year’s prestigious winner of the Most Extraordinary Manager in the Old Mutual Staff Volunteerism Awards programme (SVA). From a very young age, Moses was driven to have an impact on his community and knew that hard work was the route to achieving this.

“Selling was in my blood”, he claims. “I used to sell fruit at school to make money… and I loved making money. I’ve always been a results driven person and I figure that’s why I’ve always loved sales”. He had a knack for growing his wealth through sales. As an employee of Old Mutual for the last 18 years, he claims to have “green blood” in favour of the organisation’s colour scheme.

Moses opened the Twaranganang Day Care Centre for Children with Disabilities in 1995. Run from a mere empty garage at first, Moses and his support team were driven to collect funding and support from churches and organisations in the area to assist them in growing the centre into a  safe and comfortable place for little people with disabilities. “I wanted to see disabled children being recognised in their communities and I wanted to help those live reasonably normal lives,” he says.

He spent many years watching his niece, born with a disability, unable to play with friends and being overlooked by her community. He wanted to give her a chance at a better quality of life through providing facilities such as at the day care centre. The size of the centre has since grown into a beautiful and nurturing safe-haven for the disabled community, providing them with homecare, sustainable interaction and an environment where they can feel accepted and stimulated. 

The day care programme has not only provided the facilities for those who need it, but also provided a sense of purpose to community members who volunteer their time and skills to assist in the day-to-day running of the centre. A part of Moses’ bigger vision for the centre is for it to run self-sufficiently as a business, supporting itself financially and empowering the people of the community and surrounds through job creation and skills building for all.

“We need people who will not only assist in the daily tasks and caring of the children, but rather who can assist in growth and sustainability in their lives to impact their future for the better.”

Moses would like to have the funds to teach the children skills that they could apply outside of the programme to be self-sufficient and to help them thrive in society. (said that a few times)