Uplift Youth in South Africa

Kingsway aims to provide quality education and holistic care to children who may otherwise be excluded, by admitting disadvantaged children from informal settlements and surrounding communities. The school nurtures physical development by providing daily meals and health care, as well as food parcels for needy families, and by sponsoring those children whose families are most in need. Kingsway provides a GDE-compliant curriculum, supports children through bridging education, and offers extra-curricular activities and excursions. The school further seeks to support its learners beyond Kingsway with a sponsor-mentorship programme.

The Love Trust is a South African non-profit organisation with the vision to nurture future generations of servant leaders through the delivery of excellent Christian education to vulnerable children in disadvantaged communities. The Trust is committed to the idea that value-driven education is key to a stronger South Africa. It reaches over 9,000 primary and secondary beneficiaries in disadvantaged communities, offers NQF level 4 accredited training to teachers and principals, and supports preschools and crèches in needy communities. Verifone Africa supports the Trust’s early childhood development centre in Tembisa, the Nokuphila School. The aim is to cultivate lasting relationships with the community and expand the centre into an independent primary and, then later, secondary school.

Through these initiatives, Verifone aims to actively contribute towards uplifting the youth in South Africa’s disadvantaged communities.

* Schooling in South Africa: How low-quality education becomes a poverty trap. Nic Spaull (Research on Socio-Economic Policy, Stellenbosch University). http://ci.org.za/depts/ci/pubs/pdf/general/gauge2015/Child_Gauge_2015-Schooling.pdf

LINKS TO INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES:

As a large, multinational payment systems company, the Verifone group provides support internationally through local charities, with internal initiatives.

According to David Sore, Head of Marketing UK at Verifone Media, perhaps the best global CSR initiative Verifone has introduced is Pennies. For any company using Verifone payment terminals to accept card payments, a simple opt-in function allows customers to donate to the company’s nominated and registered charity while paying. Cancer Research UK was introduced as the beneficiary of Pennies in Zizzi restaurants, raising £100,000 in the first eight months. Each donation was just 25p. Ease of use ensured a steady stream of donations with an average of £3,500 being raised every week across the chain’s 136 restaurants, with no impact on waiting staff tips. We use systems intrinsic to our product to extend our potential charitable reach across multiple companies.

With regards to Verifone Media, the out-of-home advertising subdivision, we have chosen to support a number of charitable causes in different ways. With The Soap Co., we wanted to raise awareness for the brand across London, like how we’re about to do with the out-of-home industry partner charity, Missing People. For Missing People, we’re also rallying a team to participate in their Miles for Children run in September.

Verifone is an avid supporter of NABS, the National Advertising Benevolent Society.

https://thesoapco.org/blogs/latest/verifone-media-and-the-soap-co-s-black-cab-campaign