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Social
investment forms an integral part of Old Mutual’s broader corporate
citizenship transformation programme.
Social investment activities are driven primarily through the OMF,
which strives to promote holistic, and ultimately sustainable, community
development. There is an emphasis on responsiveness to national developmental
needs, the forging of partnerships and sustainability.
| Social
investment spend is divided between focused flagship projects,
large general donations and smaller reactive general donations.
The focus areas are: |
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Rural
economic development |
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Education,
with an emphasis on primary school mathematics and science,
and school regeneration |
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Staff
volunteerism |
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AIDS,
with the emphasis on AIDS orphans. |
OMSA is increasingly being recognised as a leading player in the corporate
social investment (CSI) arena.
Evidence of this is that Old Mutual ranks amongst the five top performers
in The CSI Handbook’s (5th Edition) measures of good corporate
social investment practitioners.
According to the Handbook, “a good corporate grantmaker is considered
to be a funder that understands development, displays a high level
of engagement with projects, and goes the extra distance to ensure
funds achieve a developmental impact”. |
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SOCIAL INVESTMENT PRIORITIES IN 2002
| CATEGORY |
SPEND |
%
OF BUDGET |
PROJECTS
SUPPORTED |
| FLAGSHIP
PROJECTS |
13.7m |
68% |
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| (REDI)
RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE |
R9.2m
p.a. |
46%
of total CSI budget |
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Local
Economic Development (R2.8m) |
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85
new businesses established in 2002 (127 new businesses
established in total 2001/02, 75 of which are women-owned) |
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70
business workshops offered, 1 555 attendees |
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722
new jobs created, 430 for women |
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Education
(R5m) |
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263
schools received maths development workshops, materials,
classroom visits |
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Average
pass rate in maths = 72% (average pass rate in maths in
2001 = 49%) |
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182
schools participated in Schools Regeneration Programme
(206 schools in 2001) |
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Schools
collectively raised R772 905 (43% of Old Mutual’s
R1.8m contribution). Over R1.8m raised by schools over
two years |
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Health
& Welfare (R1.4m) |
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36
new food gardens established |
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16
AIDS programmes initiated |
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| AIDS
ORPHANS PROGRAMME |
R1.7m |
8% |
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766
orphans being supported in 4 programmes |
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2
hectare community garden established |
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15
ceramics trainees trained |
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| STAFF
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME |
R2.8m |
14% |
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100
staff community builder projects supported |
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313
orphans adopted by employees |
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6
charities funded |
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| GENERAL
DONATIONS PROGRAMME |
R6.3m |
32% |
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| Education |
R3.2m |
16% |
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46
projects funded |
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| Community
Development |
R2.3m |
12% |
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62
projects funded |
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| Ad
Hoc Funds |
R0.8m |
4% |
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22
projects funded |
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RURAL
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Old Mutual’s commitment to investing R28 million over three
years on rural economic development is aimed at helping to develop
rural areas that remain home to half of our country’s poverty-stricken
people.
This is achieved through the OMF’s partnership with and support
for the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) — a unique
programme that focuses on the holistic development of communities
through local economic development, education, and health and welfare
interventions.
REDI aims to help address the needs of people living in impoverished
rural areas in six of the nine provinces. Starting in 2001, R9.2 million
a year is being spent by Old Mutual over three years.
REDI reaches some 3.4 million people in the Western Cape, Mpumalanga,
the Limpopo Province, Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal through
a network of “champions” who volunteer their time and
resources for the advancement of their rural and semi-urban communities.
The project office is in Johannesburg.
One of the strengths of the REDI project is the extensive knowledge
base of the champions who, collectively, have 176 years’ experience
as community development practitioners. Champions network extensively
amongst themselves, sharing information that creates an integrated
platform from which to achieve project goals. They are equipped with
personal computers to facilitate effective communication.
In 2002 a thorough monitoring and evaluation (M&E) exercise to
measure progress within the REDI programme was undertaken. M&E
results included feedback from 15 out of the 18 champions comprising
the REDI network, giving a reliable picture of achievements and challenges
to date.
Most aspects of the programme have shown growth and two issues are
particularly encouraging: the number of small business created; and,
the impact of education and welfare initiatives.
During 2002, the total number of projects managed by the REDI network
reached 770. They ranged from food gardening and farming, HIV/AIDS
prevention, fence making, and tourism, to arts and crafts, conservation
and waste management. These projects mobilised 12 245 volunteers during
the year.
REDI local economic development
Since its inception, funding from the OMF has assisted with the establishment
of 127 new businesses through the REDI Biz Fund — an average
of six in each community. Importantly, these businesses have created
in excess of 700 sustainable jobs. Some 61% of these enterprises are
owned and/or managed by women and 60% of their employees are female.
Most of the businesses are in their first and second year of operation
in, among others, the manufacturing, farming, services, retail and
catering hospitality sectors. The REDI Project Office is studying
the evolution of these businesses closely with a view to equipping
the REDI network with a set of best practices for small business creation
in rural areas.
In terms of other activities linked to small business development,
70 workshops were carried out during the year, attracting 1 555 people.
Champions once again ran Business Development Forums covering topics
like job creation, marketing, joint purchasing and customer care. |
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| REDI
economic |
REDI
education |
REDI
health and welfare |
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REDI
education
With a total budget of R5 million a year provided by Old Mutual, the
REDI Education Programme allocates its resources to primary school
mathematics and science development, and infrastructure regeneration.
The Maths Programme continued to implement an extensive schedule of
teacher development workshops and classroom visits. These were conducted
by the Maths Centre in Johannesburg and the Rhodes University Maths
Education Programme (RUMEP).
Significantly, the average pass rate in mathematics at REDI primary
schools has climbed from 49% to 72% following implementation of the
maths training programme.
With R450 000 of total funding spent on teacher and learner resource
materials, RUMEP has noted that teachers are becoming more confident
in teaching mathematics. Schools have become more independent, with
teaching enhanced and high quality teacher and learner materials at
their disposal.
Feedback from the Maths Centre on the impact of the intervention was
based on their learner and teacher progression programmes. In both
cases there was significant improvement.
The OMF contributed R2 million towards 206 schools participating in
the Schools Regeneration Programme last year. Funds raised by the
schools themselves reached an impressive R1.1 million in 2001. In
2002, 182 schools participated and collectively raised R770 000.
This programme aims to encourage schools and communities to become
involved in the upgrading of their physical infrastructure. Communities
are encouraged to “match” Old Mutual’s R10 000 grant
per school.
The majority of regeneration funds were spent on renovations and fencing,
followed by computer and photocopy equipment and furniture.
REDI health and welfare
Many REDI projects include health and welfare components and, in the
year under review, 36 food gardens were established. These have proved
essential in terms of income generation and nutrition, especially
in helping to reduce the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Eight AIDS programmes, focused on prevention and orphans support,
were funded in 2002. In addition, R109 000 was granted in support
of five home-based care programmes in three communities.
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HIV/AIDS
Soul City and Soul Buddyz
We recognise the value derived from strategic partnerships in helping
the communities we serve, and one of the most powerful is our partnership
with Soul City. This is a high profile multi-media programme targeting
adults, with a large youth audience also tuning in to Soul Buddyz.
Both programmes position the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the broader context
of health and social issues, and work towards engendering positive
lifestyle and behaviour changes in their target audiences.
Soul City has reached some 22 million South Africans since 1992. Multi-media
components include over 14 million print publications in nine languages
on different health and development issues. It is also one of the
country’s most popular TV and radio dramas.
Teachers and parents have praised Soul Buddyz for giving them a reference
from which to broach awkward topics like HIV/AIDS and youth sexuality.
Aids Orphans Programme
Mainly as a result of HIV/AIDS, projections indicate that orphans
will comprise between 9% and 12% of our total population by 2010.
That equates to between 3.6 and 4.8 million children. Amongst our
social investment highlights in 2002 was the launch of an AIDS Orphans
Programme that currently has two components. The first involves Old
Mutual financial support for five independently run AIDS orphans programmes
across the country:
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Heartbeat.
Honouring the rights of the child, Heartbeat operates in Katlehong,
Gauteng and Botshabelo in the Free State. |
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Bambisanani,
with its community-based approach, targets Bizana in the Eastern
Cape. |
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The
Topsy Foundation, with a sanctuary that can accommodate up to
2 000 orphans, is based in Mphumalanga and reaches the communities
of Grootvlei, Balfour, Greylingstad and Villiers. |
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Shepherd’s
Keep in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, cares for abandoned newborn to
six-month-old orphans until adoption. |
The second initiative, our Staff “Adopt” an Orphan Programme,
has been enthusiastically received with 313 orphans being financially
supported through monthly contributions from 189 of our staff members.
The success of the AIDS Orphans Programme has prompted us to look
at broadening the scope of the project to involve other corporates.
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STAFF
VOLUNTEERISM
The OMF financially supports employee involvement in a spectrum of
community projects undertaken through the Staff Community Builder
Programme. 100 staff community builder projects were supported during
2002.
Staff volunteerism continues to gain momentum and the programme was
expanded last year to include two new initiatives — the “Adopt”
an Orphan project and the Staff Charity Fund. Both are among the first
of their kind in South Africa and give staff the opportunity to contribute
from their salary to either project. The OMF matches all staff contributions
Rand for Rand.
HIV/AIDS-related projects under the Staff Community Builder banner
cover a wide variety of interventions. Successful projects in 2002
included a safe home that provides a nurturing environment for abandoned
babies, an action group involved in awareness projects, counselling,
home-based support and care, a lifeskills education project for youths,
and food gardens.
GENERAL DONATIONS
A total of R6.3 million of total CSI spend is directed towards other
education, community development and ad hoc requests for funding.
The focus of these areas is on maths and science at primary schools,
food security and HIV/AIDS. Ad hoc funding focuses on disaster relief
and development programmes in the arts.
COMMERCIAL SPONSORSHIPS
While undertaken primarily for marketing purposes, many of Old Mutual’s
sponsorships also incorporated a strong social dimension.
Our sponsorships aim to draw people together from all walks of life
and, as a founding sponsor of the Proudly South African campaign,
we strive to demonstrate our commitment to nation building and to
growing and developing South Africa’s people.
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The
Old Mutual/SABC/Sowetan Community Builder of the Year, started
by the Sowetan newspaper in 1991, gives recognition to men and
women who selflessly give of their time and talent to improve
the quality of life of others in their communities. |
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The
Old Mutual/Telkom National Choir Festival competition celebrated
its 25th anniversary last year and has become the biggest and
most prestigious event of its kind. The 2002 festival attracted
over 400 choirs from all over Southern Africa, including Zimbabwe,
Lesotho, Swaziland and Botswana. |
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Last
July, Old Mutual plc invited the award-winning Durban Serenade
Choral Society to share their vocal talents with London audiences.
The tour formed part of Old Mutual’s social investment
programme and proceeds went towards the fight against breast
cancer in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Highlights of the 10-day tour included a concert at St James’s
in Piccadilly, a lunchtime performance in Trafalgar Square,
a gala concert at the Royal Festival Hall and Cambridge to mark
the opening of the 2002 Commonwealth Games. |
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The
fact that it is open to all, with no barriers to entry, was
a major reason for Old Mutual selecting long-distance running
as a major sponsorship opportunity. In 2002 our sponsored marathon
portfolio included the Two Oceans Marathon, Soweto Marathon,
Wally Hayward Marathon, and Om die Dam Marathon. |
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During
2002, we committed R2 million over a three-year period to the
Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI). Established in
September 2001, the CPSI seeks to facilitate, promote and nurture
innovation within public services with the aim of improving
delivery. The organisation is an initiative of the Minister
of Public Service and Administration.
According to executive director, Glenda White: “Old Mutual
acknowledges the contribution they can make as a private sector
organisation towards enhancing the delivery of public services.
This is reflected in their commitment to fund the CPSI. This
financial assistance was invaluable and enabled the CPSI to
become a full-fledged organisation in 2002.” |
The CPSI acts as an initiator, facilitator and enabler of innovation,
actively creating innovation opportunities and forging linkages between
possible needs within government and likely solution providers. Amongst
its main areas of work are:
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The
open source software demonstration project — well under
way with the Wits School of Computer Science. This workflow
and document management system will be available to all areas
of the public sector for refinement and customisation. |
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The
Africa Regional Forum project aims at developing a knowledge
and information sharing platform on public sector reform across
Africa, as part of the overall New Partnership for Africa’s
Development (NEPAD) capacity building programme. |
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Support
to the e-government Gateway project. The CPSI, in partnership
with the public service and administration ministry, the Government
Communication Information System (GCIS) and the State Information
Technology Agency (SITA), is developing strategy for ensuring
access to services, as well as implementing urban and rural
service centres for the delivery of public services. |
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In
line with its commitment to recognising and rewarding innovation
in public service delivery, the CPSI hosts its first Innovation
Awards in 2003. |
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The
Innovation Measurement Survey identifies levels of innovation
within the public sector. |
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Proudly
South African
Old Mutual is one of the founding sponsors of the Proudly
South African consumer awareness campaign that promotes
South African made products and services with a view to
instilling a sense of national pride and promoting economic
growth and job creation.
We support the campaign — together with labour,
business, government and community organisations —
to demonstrate that we are a truly South African company
positive about our country’s future.
The Proudly South African logo is visible through the
Group’s advertising campaign as well as Old Mutual
sponsored events. In securing membership of Proudly South
African, Old Mutual met the following criteria: |
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Local content: at least 50% of production value,
including labour, must be locally incurred, and
there must be substantial transformation of the
product. |
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The applicant must satisfy the panel with regard
to the quality of the product or service. |
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The applicant must satisfy the panel that it practises
fair labour standards. |
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The applicant must show that it maintains sound
environmental practices. |
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