CSI projects undertaken in 2014

The spirit of "Ubuntu" runs deep at SA's second largest medical scheme >

Tuesday, 19 August 2014

As part of its ongoing quest to contribute towards the social upliftment of South Africa and its people the staff and management of the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) has taken KwaZulu-Natal based non-profit organisation, Abalindi Welfare Society, under its wing.

At the beginning of August the GEMS team, under the leadership of Principal Officer, Guni Goolab and Trustee, Dr Clarence Mini, visited four homes including a hospice, old age and children's home as well as a day care centre in the small community of Amatikwe in Inanda, north of Durban.

The GEMS volunteers spent the day rolling up their sleeves to help out with chores such as cooking, cleaning and grooming the elderly inhabitants of the old age home. The group of Good Samaritans also enjoyed some quality time with the children being cared for by this indispensable charity.   

Abalindi Welfare Society, which was established in 1998, consists of homes for the elderly and frail as well as for mentally, physically challenged and destitute children. It has its own bakery, gardening and block-making projects as well as a poultry farm that empowers and sustains the small community of Amatikwe. 

The GEMS team brought with them much needed equipment including electrical stoves, refrigerators, microwaves, wheelchairs and solar water panels, to mention but a few items that were donated to the Abalindi Welfare Society.

Commenting on the initiative, GEMS Executive: Communications and Member Affairs, Liziwe Nkonyana, said it was a most memorable and rewarding day for the GEMS volunteers.  "For us giving goes well beyond material things to devoting time and a little tender loving care to those in need. If this means cooking, shaving elderly people, cleaning and simply spending time with young children and the elderly then we will gladly do so."  

"At GEMS we are committed to making a meaningful and positive contribution within the communities that we serve. For us community spirit and involvement embodies the very core of our corporate citizenship philosophy and we therefore view giving back to the community as an opportunity to drive positive change within South African society," concludes Nkonyana.

With GEMS a little tender-loving-care goes a long, long way >

Monday, 21 July 2014

When former community worker, Mama Nellie Matjeke opened the doors to Jehovah Jira Orphanage Centre, meaning God shall provide, in 2003 she chose a name for the orphanage that reflected her deepest hopes for the future.

More than a decade later the little township orphanage, situated in the heart of Soshanguve township, about 25 kilometres north of Pretoria, which started out with only ten children has grown in every possible way. Nowadays, Nellie's Orphanage, as it is affectionately known in the community, is home to thirty-five orphans, some as young as fourteen months. It also offered safe and secure day-care facility for the children of the community and has a full-time staff of 14.

On Mandela Day this year 62-year old Nellie and her much-loved orphans welcomed the staff and management of the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) who visited the orphanage laden with much treasured goods. Not only did the people of GEMS deliver ample food, new beds and toiletries but they also donated a much-needed washing machine to the centre. But, by far, the most promising gift of the day was the manure, seeds, plants and other items that would help Nellie and her colleagues inject new life into the vegetable patch at the orphanage.

Commenting on the experience of the day, the GEMS team, South Africa's second largest medical scheme' said that it was a humbling and powerful experience, particularly as it was also the first time that the country celebrated the day without the iconic Nelson Mandela. "As we celebrate Nelson Mandela Day, we continue to embrace his values and honour his legacy to make the world a better place."

"The Jehovah Jira orphanage is such a worthy corporate social investment initiative for the Scheme that we will continue our work here well beyond today. One of our future initiatives at Nellie's Orphanage will be the on-going supply of non-perishable foods to the centre for the remainder of the year."

"It was good to spend time with the children and to assist the overworked staff with some of the cooking and cleaning chores that take up so much time at the orphanage. The highlight of the day, not only for the children and the staff, but also for the tired GEMS volunteers was the braai that we enjoyed together at the end of the day."

Uplifting a community ‘one shoe at a time' >

Monday, 17 February

The Northern Cape is one of the hottest provinces in South Africa. In summer, temperatures can soar above 40°C and air conditioning is a luxury most can only dream of. Every day children from the rural Soverby Primary School in Upington had to walk barefoot to school, often burning their little feet on the boiling hot sand. This was until the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), in partnership with their service provider, Universal Care, stepped in to provide shoes and socks to each and every child at the school.

What started off as a small initiative called the ‘shoe-a-school' project, conceived by Universal Care in May last year, turned into heart-warming campaign that saw 200 children recently receiving shoes and socks as well as brand new netball and soccer kits. "We chose to adopt a small rural school in the Northern Cape because we wanted to help these children get to school in comfort and with dignity," says Geraldine Bartlett, Director of Care Management at Universal Care. Bata Shoe Company was asked to partner with Universal Care to provide shoes at cost price. GEMS then went beyond the call of duty and also offered to provide the school with soccer and netball kits.

"GEMS takes its community engagement initiatives very seriously. We are always on the lookout for new opportunities where we can uplift disadvantaged communities and lend a helping hand to people who are in need," says Liziwe Nkonyana, Executive of Communications and Member Affairs at GEMS, South Africa's second largest medical scheme. "When we heard about this school in Upington, we were only too happy to assist."
 
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in September and 200 pairs of shoes and socks were promised for every child. "We were so touched by the plight of the learners at the school that we decided to expand our budget and hand out 200 food parcels to the learners," says Nkonyana. In the food parcels were necessities such as sugar, oil, tinned fish and toiletries. "The excitement and gratitude on the learners' faces when we handed out the food parcels was truly something to behold. They were even more excited when we promised to come back in the new year to hand over the shoes and sports kits."

When Nkonyana and her colleagues returned to Soverby Primary School on 5 February, they were greeted by the prefects of the school, who led them into a school hall packed with parents, teachers and children. "It seemed like the whole village was there to see the children receive the much needed donation," recalls Nkonyana.

"Moments like these are truly humbling.  We were particularly moved by the pride and humility of the people we had the privilege of meeting during our time in Upington. We are heartened by the success of the campaign and we are already in the process of conceptualising new CSI projects for GEMS that will follow on from this one," she concludes.

Soverby Primary School sports coaches, Ms R Van Rooyen and Mr Van Wyk with soccer and netball team captains.	Soverby Primary School before the handover. Shoes and socks all lined and ready to be handed over to awaiting learners.
Excited Grade 7 learners receiving their school shoes and socks with Ms. Lindelwa Keikelame (Universal Care), Ms. Liziwe Nkonyana (GEMS), Mr. Oscar  Mabele (Metropolitan Health), Mr R. Van Wyk (Grade 7 teacher) and Mr Wallace Willemse (Principal).	Proud Soverby parents during the handover. In the foreground: Ms Liziwe Nkonyana (GEMS), Ms Lindelwa Keikelame (Universal Care) and Mr Oscar Mabele (Metropolitan Health).