Madelise Grobler: DMA winner and multi-faceted ... - Words' Worth

32CSI PROFILEHockey unlocks new horizonsBytes Connect recently sponsored20 underprivileged childrento participate in a hockeyskills programme arrangedby non-profit organisation, FutureFamilies. The 18-week programme willultimately touch 100 children, and ispresented at the Old Albanian HockeyClub which had started a junior hockeyclub in partnership with St Albans College.Bytes Connect is sponsoring thejunior club for a year.Future Families is an NGO that caresfor orphans and vulnerable childrenwho have been affected by HIV/Aidsin the greater Tshwane area. The 6 500children it works with are visited by atrained care worker once a week. Theorganisation ensures that the childrenattend school, receive assistance withtheir homework, participate in holidayprogrammes, and acquire life skillsEquipped for the futurethrough peer education. It also runsgroups for single parents, includinggrannies who raise their grandchildren.Future Familes has established 220 vegetablegardens in the community.The hockey programme has severalobjectives, says Andrew Holden, MDof Bytes Connect. “The children aretaught the technical skills of playinghockey on Astroturf, but almost moreimportantly they learn about teamwork and how to have fun. And whoknows – a love of the game froman early age could result in future Olympicteam members!”Penny Learmonth, executive directorof Future Families, says that opportunitiessuch as this allow the children tosee a life beyond the circumstances inwhich they find themselves. “It buildstheir self-esteem when they master newskills and see their talents emerge.”The first 30 women to have completed an endusercomputer training programme under theauspices of the Progressive Women’s Movementof South Africa (PWMSA), recently celebratedtheir success at a graduation ceremony atthe Tshwane Academy for Leadership andManagement.The ICT training project was launched in Julylast year. The partnership between PWMSA andBytes People Solutions is funded by the Media,Advertising, Information and CommunicationTechnologies Training Authority (MICT Seta),and is aimed at training young women in ICTin six Gauteng municipalities.Bytes People Solutions delivers the training.The company’s MD, Dr Madelise Grobler,regards the first graduates as a significantmilestone: “These women now have a realchance of succeeding in the workplace andwe have every confidence that they will addvalue to any of the companies to which theyare assigned.”Photographed at the awards ceremonyare (from left) Dr Madelise Grobler,MD Bytes People Solutions; IdaDiale, PWMSA learner; and Dr GwenRamokgopa, Deputy Minister ofHealth.