Call Centre helps fight cancer, abuse against women & gives jobs August 10, 2008
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Disadvantaged women who have been subjected to physical abuse are receiving training and jobs, thanks to the donation of a contact centre, initially for the Shavathon – a national awareness campaign for cancer.The contact centre, donated by ATIO Corporation and Interactive Intelligence, enables organisations like the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) to implement awareness and fundraising drives, such as the Shavathon, Women’s Day initiatives, breast cancer luncheons, etc. These awareness drives are advertised by providing a number for the public to call, which in turn reaches the cause marketing contact centre.
Depending on the project, women from sanctuaries for abused women are employed and receive training to handle calls, faxes and emails, as well as basic secretarial skills. Most of the women have never worked in an office environment before. As a result of the training, five have obtained fulltime employment in other contact centres. According to Noelene Kotschan, MD of marketing agency, Sho-Sho-Loza Marketing, the awareness drives and training for the women would not be possible without the contact centre.
“Before using contact centre technology, we had a traditional switchboard system which could not cope with the call volumes for our cause marketing initiatives,” she says. “Thanks to the contact centre, we’ve also been able to reduce operating costs by about 40%.
This is significant because it means that we can give more money to the beneficiaries.” ATIO was compelled to assist the CANSA Shavathon as the company felt that most people in the community had a personal experience of friends or family affected by cancer. ATIO approached one of its key partners, global IP communications solution provider, Interactive Intelligence to provide the system as its commitment to corporate social investment mirrored ATIO’s.
“Because it is an all-in-one solution, Interactive Intelligence’s system gave the CANSA Shavathon the ability to have one platform for its contact centre and office environment, driving up productivity and reducing integration and maintenance costs,” says Dawn Hollingworth, ATIO’s business development and marketing director.
“The system is also easy to use therefore providing an ideal environment to train agents with a low skills base.” In fact, Hollingworth says that the call centre agents can be trained on the basics of the centre within half a morning. “This enables significant flexibility for all cause projects and gives the trainees a great sense of achievement,” she says.
Dave Paulding, Interactive Intelligence’s regional sales manager for UK and Africa says that being involved in this project is a privilege. “We are delighted to donate our technology and expertise to support organisations doing such admirable work in the community.” Hollingworth further stated that should any other deserving cause be in need of a contact centre solution, they should contact ATIO directly.
Source: Pressportal
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Entertain your brain at Sasol Techno X 2008 August 9, 2008
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Science and technology developments are introducing new and exciting career choices for young people. The eight annual Sasol Techno X, taking place from 11-15 August 2008 at the Boiketlong Complex, Sasolburg, is aimed at sharing with learners the endless and exciting possibilities of science and technology.
Read the complete article here.
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Pirates Hockey Club Golf Day August 5, 2008
Posted by marcashton in Uncategorized.Tags: Golf Day, Hockey, Sports, Sports Club
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ManufacturingHub.co.za (www.manufacturinghub.co.za) is a partial sponsor of the 2008 Pirates Hockey Club golf day – see details below. We’re urging some of our partners to get involved and enjoy a round of golf and then perhaps chat about some of the opportunities for you and your clients to get some exposure in ManufacturingHub.co.za and our industrial reports.
If you would like to participate, the details are as below.
We do have some hole sponsorship opportunities available from R750 a hole should your clients wish to get some extra exposure.
All funds raised go to Pirates Hockey Club.
Event Details Date: 28 August
Time: 11 am start Venue: Parkview Golf Course
R2000 per 4-ball if you pay on the day or R1600 per 4 ball if you pay up front – includes dinner
Pirates Hockey can do an invoice for you
Tournament format - Stableford 4 ball alliance - 2 scores to count
Enquiries – Marc Ashton (082-561-1585) or marc@rival.co.za
About Pirates Hockey Club
Pirates Hockey Club in Greenside is one of the leading hockey setups in Gauteng. Currently the side has 2 international representatives at the Beijing Olympic Games. The club offers hockey to around 100 adult hockey players and another 100 junior and mini players. Pirates Sports Club in Greenside provides facilities for the likes of Roosevelt, King David and Greenside to have access to fields and a hockey astro turf that they do not get at their schools.
About ManufacturingHub.co.za
ManufacturingHub.co.za (www.manufacturinghub.co.za) is an industrial online publication and research company aimed at the South African Food, Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Cosmetic Manufacturing industries. The site receives approximately 3000 unique visitors each month and continues to provide a valuable source of news and information to the SA Regulated Manufacturing industries.
www.rival.co.za – Corporate Wellness, Industrial Research, Publishing and Design
www.remspeced.co.za - Remedial & Special Education in SA
www.manufacturinghub.co.za – News for the SA Food, Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Cosmetic Manufacturing industries
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
CYA Car Clean July 26, 2008
Posted by marcashton in Uncategorized.Tags: Corporate social investment, CSI, CSR, Skills development, small business
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Cyabonga is a young entrepreneur being sponsored by Gauteng based Corporate Wellness, Industrial Research and Publishing company - Rival Industrial CC - as a development initiative. Cyabonga has developed this initiative independently under the guidance of his mentor and has the full support of Rival Industrial CC.
Cyabonga: 078 296-7563
Washing your car on a regular basis can be a bind with hectic lifestyles and petrol increases, so let Cyabonga make a regular carwash schedule part of your routine:
He will accommodate your schedule,
Arrive weekly, biweekly (fortnightly) or monthly depending on your needs,
He will leave not only your cars sparkling, but your driveway tidy too.
BASIC WASH = R30 (full outer cleaning and rinse) IN and OUT WASH = R40 (full outer cleaning and rinse, inner vacuum) SPIT ‘n POLISH = R60 (full outer cleaning and rinse, polish and rims, inner vacuum, inside windows)
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
AVIS APPOINTS CSR CHAMPION July 24, 2008
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Avis has long supported environmental and community upliftment programmes. Now the car rental company has upped its stake in corporate social responsibility(CSR) by appointing Jessica Branco as it’s Sustainability Manager.Avis managing director Wayne Duvenage says Branco’s appointment forms part of Avis’ strategy to play a greater role in investing in its people, local communities and the environment.
“The Sustainability Manager is expected to bring Avis’ vision and philosophy around CSR to life. Her appointment is also about formalising the CSR process and determining the value of Avis’ current CSR activities and sponsorships. “The work we do in this area is difficult to measure and we need to establish what else we should be doing that will be of real benefit to our people, local communities and the environment,” says Duvenage.
Many of the Avis sustainability initiatives involve vehicle sponsorships. What is required at Avis is to formalise many of the contracts it has in place and differentiate between those sponsorships that are conducted for branding opportunities and those that are genuine CSR initiatives. The Sustainability Manager will initially bed all these initiatives down and then investigate further opportunities. Duvenage says CSR is a long-term process that everyone at Avis is encouraged to become involved in. “An example of this was a recent tree-planting ceremony at Thutuka Primary School in Thembisa where Avis Managers took time out of their conference, rolled up their sleeves and actually dug the holes and planted the trees,” he says.
Initiatives such as these form part of the ‘Avis Cares’ strategy, which focuses on improved recycling, community upliftment, internal training and development, and procurement through suppliers made up of previously disadvantaged individuals. In addition, Avis supports several environmental programmes such as the Peace Parks Foundation, the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Wilderness Leadership School Trust. A key focus area for Branco, is to update and revise Avis’ strategy around minimising the car rental company’s carbon footprint.
This will be in addition to existing projects such as the installation of new wash bays that recycle 80% of water used at the Avis turnaround facilities and the employment of specialists to assist in electricity conservation and waste control. Branco has worked at Avis for 20 years in various managerial positions including global distribution system (GDS) manager, call centre manager and organisational development manager.
Looking forward to her new role, Branco says through Avis she intends to make a difference to the environment and in peoples’ lives. “I feel honoured to be involved in this process. Avis could easily piggy-back on the projects being run by Barloworld, but these are issues so close to our hearts that we want to do so much more than go along for the ride,” she says.
Avis Southern Africa - www.avis.co.za
Contact Information:
Avis Rent a Car
www.avis.co.za
tel: +27 11 971 2368
fax: +27 11 923 3809
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Aquila Private Game Reserve mentors community members July 23, 2008
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earl Derman owner of 4 star Aquila Private Game Reserve or fondly referred to by Touwsrivier locals as “champion of the poor” has once again generously contributed towards job creation and social upliftment within the Touwsrivier community. A joint venture by Aquila Private Game Reserve and local training provider - The Nature College saw 11 members of the community awarded Nature Site Guide qualifications.During 6 months of rigorous practical and theoretical in-house training the aspirant candidates were educated on a variety of subjects such as geology, desert ecology, fynbos, birds etc. Aquila Private Game provided their knowledgeable and highly skilled game rangers that acted as mentors to all eleven candidates. The game rangers are all former students of The Nature College and the exceptional standard they acquired from the Nature Guide Development Programme made them model mentors for the talented candidates.
Owner of Aquila Private Game Reserve Searl Derman enthuses, “We at Aquila and indeed The Nature College are incredibly proud of the high standard attained. This project also reiterates that private tourism can offer a substantial boost to economic development in rural areas”.
Johan Fourie, CEO of The Nature College who facilitated the assessments at Aquila stated that this high standard of training and mentorship adds significant value to the experience that the public is offered at the reserve.
On the horizon, Aquila and The Nature College look forward to taking these skills developments further by forming a stronger relationship to ensure that this project will continue to deliver outstanding results. Other initiatives Aquila is involved with on an ongoing basis includes winter soup kitchens and blanket donations.
Aquila will continue to support and mentor graduates from the college and assist the Touwsrivier community to enter the Nature Site Guide market thus providing not only employment but a career.
Contact Information :
Distributed by Smart Strategies on behalf of Aquila Private Game Reserve
Smart Strategies
Cape Town: 
0027 21 788 1744
fax 086 6676278
Web: www.smartstrategies.co.za
Source: PressPortal
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Fundisa July 17, 2008
Posted by marcashton in Uncategorized.Tags: ACI, Children, CSI, CSR, Education, Fundisa, Nedbank, Post Office, Standard Bank, STANLIB
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I only learnt about Fundisa today, but I think its a brilliant and AFFORDABLE CSR / Corporate Social Investment project for ordinary South Africans to get involved in.
Basically the Department of Education and the Association for Collective Investments (www.aci.co.za) have gotten together to put together a system where people or businesses can sponsor a childs education for as little as R40 per month.
As your savings in an account are built up the partners involved in the project will then contribute a bonus amount for the savings meaning that it will compound the savings you are making upfront.
You can either nominate a learner (anyone up to 35 years old) or you can adopt a learner from the programme.
It’s important to remember that the system is built along the lines of an investment - the earlier you start, the greater the value that will have accumulated when your elected child will need the funds.
With so many South Africans craving a quality education, here is a seriously effective way of raising funds for them. Already the model has been viewed with envy by other foreign countries and it is highly regarded because the funds that are raised are ONLY used for the purposes for which they are intended rather than squandered by learners who suddenly find themselves with a cash pile.
If you would like to make a donation you can go into any Standard Bank, Stanlib or Nedbank and ask for the relevant forms.
For more info - check out their website - www.fundisa.org.za
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Goal4Africa to help create a legacy for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ July 16, 2008
Posted by marcashton in Uncategorized.Tags: charity, Children, Sports
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Inspired by both the legacy of Nelson Mandela - who celebrates his 90th birthday shortly – and in particular the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup™, a new global initiative aimed at bringing together education and football has kicked off.
The Goal4Africa Foundation was founded by AC Milan and Holland star Clarence Seedorf with the aim of raising funds for educational and development programmes in Africa, while at the same time promoting the development of soccer on the continent.
According to the foundation, the objective is to create a legacy for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ by raising funds for both football development and educational programmes in order to contribute to an African Legacy Programme that will promote peace and nation-building, help alleviate poverty, and support economic development and opportunities. The funds raised will also be used to establish and boost development programmes for children.
The latest Goal4Africa campaign, which will lead up to the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, was launched with a charity football match hosted at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany this past Saturday (July 12).
The match featured a number of the globe’s top players, including Seedorf, Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba, Kaká, Frank Lampard, Robin van Persie, Gianluigi Buffon, Emmanuel Adebayor, Stephen Gerrard, Samuel Eto’o, and Michael Essien and in their presence, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Sizwe Mandela, scored the first goal.
This is just the first of many goals that will help raise funds for the project, as more businesses and private individuals are now encouraged to come on board and help raise funds by donating a specified amount of money for every goal scored by their chosen team or favourite player.
The organisation’s Web site (www.goal4africa.org) also points out those digital goals will be scored through an interactive goal kicking game on the World Wide Web, as well as through a similar game available on mobile phones and another through consoles
How this will work is that a fan playing the interactive game can choose to donate an amount of money for every goal scored during the game they are playing.
In keeping with the World Cup’s concept of sporting brotherhood, Goal4Africa claims to support FIFA’s ‘Win in Africa with Africa’ initiative, the 2010 Local Organising Committee’s African Legacy Programme, as well as the African Union’s mission to eradicate poverty in Africa.
Or as Seedorf points out: “The Goal4Africa Foundation is committed to leaving an enduring positive legacy on the whole of the African continent”.
Visit: http://www.goal4africa.org
by Rodney Weidemann
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
Safe Sex Underwear Contest Reveals Intimate Communication Needs July 16, 2008
Posted by marcashton in Uncategorized.2 comments
Sexual health is a big problem facing South Africa, particularly when communicating with the youth. It becomes extremely boring to hear the same messages repeated again and again, and lets be honest - half the time we filter it out anyway. I picked up this article on a competition run in the States where a media agency found a creative way to discuss and promote safe sex:
Over 500 armchair designers from around the country competed for prizes, fashioning original branded underwear online– complete with artwork and slogans– to emphasize “safer sex” messages and the importance of supporting communication between partners.
“InBrief: What if Ur Undies Had the Last Word” was hosted by Brickfish, the innovative social media marketing platform, and Internet Sexuality Information Services, Inc. (ISIS), a nonprofit organization promoting sexual health. And the winners are….
Grand Prize winner Tina Nguyen (Pomona, CA) designed Riding Safely, a line of men’s and women’s underwear that lets partners know they need a ticket to ride. Ms. Nguyen will receive $1000 (scholarship or cash equivalent) and 12 pairs of women’s underwear with her design.
Image Buzz winner Dan Brown (Corvallis, OR) designed The Real Reason Dinosaurs Went Extinct, that ponders what if dinosaurs knew about safe sex? Dan will receive $250 (scholarship or cash equivalent) for the best entry among the top 100 generating the most attention across the Internet as determined by the ISIS expert selection panel.
Community Sweepstakes winner Chrissy Olsen (Muncie, IN) will receive $250 (scholarship or cash equivalent) from among everyone participating in the contest in any way (whether viewer, reviewer, or voter) as selected by Brickfish.
“We stitched together the fabric of social media to deliver an important message: Discussing STD prevention, HIV awareness, and unplanned pregnancy is awesome - whether you’re sexually active or sexually anxious,” said Deb Levine, ISIS Executive Director. “The campaign emphasized that even in the heat of the moment with only a pair of underwear between you and your partner, there is still time to talk. This contest is a great example of effective use of social networking and new media to encourage young people to develop lifelong patterns of healthy sexual communication.”
“InBrief,“ launched between April and May 2008, resulted in more than 500 entries and more than 650,000 engagements through votes, views, reviews and content created. Submissions were posted on hundreds of social networking sites across the Internet, including Facebook, Myspace and Xanga.”
“ISIS’s ‘InBrief’ was a great example of how to use social media to get the attention of a young audience by taking a humerous approach to expanding awareness around a vital public health concern ” said Brian Dunn, CEO of Brickfish. “ Social networks are populated with friends talking to friends which are the most influential people in our lives We hope more people will continue to spread the word, not the disease.”
More details can be found on the website http://www.isis-inc.org/
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)
XPLANE Creates Illustrated Report for UNICEF July 14, 2008
Posted by marcashton in Uncategorized.Tags: charity, UNICEF
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This is not a South African related post exactly but I did pick up the following announcement related to a UNICEF project. Seeing as UNICEF are active in South Africa, I felt it was importantly to give them some exposure:
Designed by XPLANE, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has published ‘A World Fit For Us’, an illustrated report for young people that details the state of, and progress around, some of the world’s most pressing issues through the personal stories of 19 youth. The report is UNICEF’s promised follow up to the more than 400 children from over 150 countries who participated in the United Nations Special Session on Children held in New York in May 2002 and expressed their visions for the future. The report is hoped to be an educational and empowerment tool for years to come.
“Pictures are the universal language,” said Aric Wood, chief executive officer, XPLANE. “Understanding the importance of visual communication is the basis of our entire business, and we are proud to be working with an organization as important as UNICEF to create a powerful and unified voice for children around the world.”
Twenty-four pages in length and printed in English, Spanish, French and Japanese, ‘A World Fit For Us’ shares true stories that range from addressing the issues of war, health care, HIV and AIDS, the environment, education and poverty. Aside from offering updates on key world conflicts five years following the Special Session, the book also provides ideas for action moving forward. The report was unveiled on Dec. 9 through UNICEF field offices in over 150 countries and UNICEF national committees in 35 industrialized countries.
“Following the Special Session in 2002 and hearing first-hand the hopes, concerns and dreams of our world’s children, it was absolutely clear that we owed them an update as to what has been achieved, and what is still being strived for, five years later,” said Patricia Moccia, section chief, division of communication, UNICEF. “This report is UNICEF’s responsibility to the children of the Special Session as we acknowledge the importance of each of their voices and let them know their demands were heard and responded to. Making the report an illustrated production allowed us to offer the update in a way that could be understood around the world.”
The report’s visuals, created by a team of 10 illustrators, aim to add emotion and storytelling to otherwise complex quantitative data so that it can be more easily understood and embraced by children everywhere.
The UNICEF project represents just the latest in XPLANE’s work to promote conversation for change in regards to advancing the lives of children. Most recently, the company produced the “Did You Know? 2.0″ presentation with educator Karl Fisch to advance discussion on how to better educate today’s youth for a continually shifting world.
“Images are a powerful tool for communication and learning,” said Wood. “XPLANE is committed to applying that tool in all areas needed - from driving business results for our clients to discussing world issues we believe need to be shared.”
Source: www.sanepr.com
(Sponsor Link: assetant.co.za)