Awards to honour extraordinary people in South Africa |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jun 12 2010 |
Extraordinary people like these make the difference in their communities every day. Often they go unheralded. But through the Inyathelo awards they have received national recognition after being nominated by their peers in recognition of their ongoing and sustainable impact on the people with whom they live and whom they serve.
“Individuals, organisations and communities are being assisted financially on a daily basis by amazing South Africans. Without this assistance many of these entities would not be able to survive, especially in these very tough economic times,” says Shelagh Gastrow, Executive Director, Inyathelo-The South African Institute for Advancement.
"Many South Africans know of friends and colleagues who are making a huge difference. I urge them to nominate these wonderful people for the only award of its kind in South Africa."
Nominations for the 2010 Inyathelo Philanthropy awards open today, 31 March, with entry forms obtainable from Inyathelo’s website, www.inyathelo.co.za . The deadline for submission of nominations is 30 June 2010.
“It’s always exciting to see what people are doing to help others,” says Gastrow, “I’m looking forward to going through this year’s nominations and finding ways of sharing the information on their projects,
“All of our past and new awardees’ stories are used to inspire others to make a difference too. Never before has it been more important to encourage South Africans to be more socially responsible. The organisations that awardees have supported have in turn benefited from the increased awareness of what they do.”
Gastrow says that it is important to note that the awards are not for foundations or trusts, although the assistance they give to many is invaluable.
“We’re looking for people, young and old, from all walks of life, who give of their own resources and who are making a difference through strategic social giving.”
Some of the previous awardees include:
Anna Versveld from Walmer Estate in Cape Town and Marcio Lopez from Observatory, Cape Town, were awarded the 2009 Inyathelo Youth in Philanthropy Award for their role in establishing and running the Capoeira Educational Youth Association. This is a youth development organisation which uses Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art form, to develop personal and social skills in children in disadvantaged areas in the Cape Town Metropolitan area.
Vice –Chancellor of Rhodes University, Dr Saleem Badat, received the 2008 Inyathelo Award for Exceptional Philanthropy for his commitment to social change in South Africa. On accepting his appointment as Vice-Chancellor, he relinquished certain benefits normally given to his position and contributed the value of these, along with his salary to a scholarship fund.
Marlene Jooste from Brandwag in the Free State was awarded the 2009 Inyathelo Woman in Philanthropy Awards for her role in establishing and maintaining the I’m a Star project. This programme improves the lives of terminally ill children by making their dreams become realities. She was also recognised for her various medical and health awareness projects initiated throughout the year.
Lindele Mjenxane was awarded the 2007 Inyathelo Youth in Philanthropy Award for using his own funds to start the Beyond Expectation Environment Project and encouraging and motivating others to get involved and give. The project utilises natural environments such as Table Mountain as a workshop venue for school learners. Through education about the environment and wise water use, the project has assisted in educating children with regard to environmental issues and has trained volunteers to lead these workshops.
The awardees of the 2010 Inyathelo Philanthropy Awards will be announced at a gala dinner to be held in Cape Town in mid-November 2010.
For more information on this year’s awards, nomination forms as well as the names of the 2007, 2008 and 2009 awardees, go to www.inyathelo.co.za or contact Inyathelo on 021 465 6981.
ENDS
Issued by Quo Vadis Communications on behalf of Inyathelo-The South African Institute for Advancement
Inyathelo – The South African Institute for Advancement is a world-recognised organisation dedicated to building a sustainable South African civil society. Its core work is to advance social change by working with key institutions and non-profit organisations to ensure their long-term sustainability. This is done by developing the capacity of civil society to use private investment from such companies to better serve the community, whilst working with organisations to develop their resource mobilisation skills. The Institute promotes social responsibility, personal philanthropy, voluntarism and self-reliance.
Last changed: Jun 12 2010 at 7:27 PM
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