Marabastad sees transformation

Published: 24 October 2019

In the current political status of our country, with Eskom leaving us in the dark, high percentages of people immigrating to seemingly greener pastures and the ever-increasing unemployment rate, it is not always easy to find the reasons to join the #ImStaying movement.  But this story will change your mind, or at least get you thinking.One of our charities that is on the Loving Thy Neighbour platform, Garden of Life was asked by the revolutionary organisation Dare to Love, to start a veggie garden in the heart of Marabastad, where things not only looked like death, but certainly smelled like it too.On the 7th of September 2019, Dare to Love, Garden of Life and a few other NPOs collaborated to clean up the streets and start a vegetable garden.  In the words of Garden of Life’s founder, Steven Barnard: “Spent the morning with Dare to Love team. A wonderful humbling experience. Turning a war zone where people were killed a few days earlier into a place where they now can grow their own food...”

It is people like these, who will help us transform our country. Organisations that are willing to take a stand against poverty, against fear and that will act upon their convictions that will bring about much needed change.  Yes, we are a country in disaster, yes, we are a country with divides, but can we change it?  And the answer simply is, YES, WE CAN.  When we take hands, when we give out of our abundance or sometimes just out of the little, we must give.  It is when we partner with organisations, just like these, that we can, at least bring hope to begin with, and later change will be evident.   We might not see the change today, or even tomorrow, but we will see it, if we all work together.

Garden of Life trains these people, just like Joyce Sithole (seen in this picture) to mend their gardens and generate not only food but create a small business that can generate income to families in impoverished areas.  Today, the 24th of October, more than a month later, these veggies are flourishing, growing and feeding some of the families of Marabastad.    Joyce is even able to sell some of these veggies and generate an income for her family.

On the Loving Thy Neighbour platform we strive to bring people together, people who have something to GIVE.  Not always money, but sometimes just of their TIME, other times of their TALENT and then most times of their MONEY, to enable organisations to continue their good work.  As we all decide to STAY, let’s work together to see South Africa become the beautiful country that we know it to be! Find out more about organisations similar to Garden of Life on our website, at www.lovingthyneighbour.org.

Motor Industry heavyweights announce important business transformation initiatives

Published: 27 September 2017

Two major role-players in the South African motor retail industry – the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) and the Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) – today announced two important business transformation initiatives in the South African retail motor industry.

The two organisations that carry considerable weight in the motor retail industry (the RMI, with more than 7 500-member businesses, is the leading collective voice of the retail motor industry in South Africa, while the fast-growing and dynamic MISA, with its well over 43 000 members, is the only union that focuses exclusively on the retail motor industry) have pledged their strong commitment to address two pressing issues in the industry: creating more job opportunities for people with disabilities and achieving greater gender equality.

Equalising the gender playing field

The two organisations have agreed to work together to equalise the gender playing fields in what is still a predominantly male-dominated industry, while also attracting and retaining more people with disabilities to this important economic sector.

Issues on the agenda include redressing the inequalities of power that exist in the areas of decision-making and representation, the differences in legal status between different genders, eradicating violence against women in the industry as well as the discriminatory attitudes that still prevail, while achieving an increased participation of women in the labour market.

“No one should be subject to gender discrimination or harassment,” says Martlé Keyter, MISA’s CEO Operations.

RMI CEO, Jakkie Olivier, notes, “As the RMI, we are committed to invest more effort into ensuring gender issues are addressed in collective bargaining and promoting the equal treatment of all employees.”

The two organisations have joined forces with various industry employers and have also already enlisted and trained a team of industry representatives who will champion the two initiatives going forward.

Job creation

According to MISA’s CEO for Strategy and Development, Hermann Köstens, the motor retail industry can play a significant role in creating jobs for people living with disabilities, with a specific focus on young workers.

“With 48 000 jobs lost in South Africa in the first quarter of this year, we as an industry must step up and do whatever we can to stimulate job creation,” he notes. “One way in which to do this is to create more opportunities for people with disabilities and to retain them in our industry.”

Keyter agrees, “We would like to see employers make a mind-shift towards focusing on what people living with disabilities can contribute to the workplace, rather than focusing on what they cannot do.”

“We are strong campaigners that persons with disabilities who want to work, must be given the opportunity to do so if they possess the inherent qualities the job requires,” concludes Olivier.