By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
Amogelang Insurance Brokers embarked on a charitable work on Thursday by feeding more than 20 street survivors in Vryburg. This was in partnership with Miss Heritage Top 10 finalist, Akanyang Kalamore.
Amogelang Insurance Brokers Marketing and Creative Manager, Nompumelelo Kala said the company pride itself not only to make money, but also to give back to the community.
“We are grateful to be part of this initiative as it is one of our principles to have the interest of our communities at heart. We came here to feed street survivors as part of our social responsibility. Most of them are subjected to abject poverty and they do not know where their next meal will come from.
“Remember, the hand that gives is the most blessed and that’s what we strive on as the company. Amogelang Insurance Brokers is not all about money-making scheme, but creating a lasting solution, while building a good relationship with our clients and communities,” she said.
Kala further said this was not for the first time the company embarked on a partnership for charitable work. She added that 90% of their staff are women and that says a lot about the company.
“We have sponsored sports activities, artists, and theater events in the past. Our recent initiative that stands out was when we partnered with a young woman in her initiative called Geleza Mtwana.
“The young woman approached us for support where she replaced broken windows and renovate dilapidated buildings of needy schools in the area. So, we always ensure that there are great fulfilments in our call,” said Kala.
Kalamore said: “I was given a task as a Top 10 finalist to do charity work. I was so grateful after Amogelang Insurance Brokers came on board without any hesitations. I hope many companies could take a leaf out of Amogelang Insurance Brokers’ book and execute this kind of partnership.
“I thought of going to schools and give out sanitary pads to needy female learners, however, I knew that almost every contestant will think of that. So, I came up with a different approach by initiating this. Many street survivors are going through a lot, but it seems no one care.”
One of the street survivors, Godfrey Olyl (23) said: “We are super excited to receive food from Amogelang Insurance Brokers. I stay at Monotomosetlha Informal Settlement with my girlfriend and my child. I do not want to lie to you, life is grim because I must wake up as early as around 4am to come to the dumping site and get plastic bottles for recycling.
“Atleast, I can make around R70 to R200 a day if the lady luck smiles at me. So, I will highly appreciate it if we can get any kind of support because we are living beyond the poverty line. I lost both my parents and things are not getting any better.”
Olyl said what he is doing is better than embarking on crime. He said there is a high rate of unemployment and the government is not trying enough to change the situation, hence the high rate of crime.
Meanwhile, according to the https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov website, there are more than 250 000 children and adolescents reported to be living on the street in South Africa. The report showed that most majority of homeless youth are black and male.
It also highlighted that mostly, they have experiences of parental neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and extreme poverty is common drivers to life on the street.
The Guardian 