SAMSA Annual Report 2015 - 2016

Corporate Social Investment Journey
STRIVING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Corporate Social Investment Journey
CHAPTER 04
SAMSA
CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENT JOURNEY
Corporate Social Investment Performance Highlights
In aligning with SAMSA’s D-ETHICS, the corporate social responsibility section introduced a volunteer programme in 2014 and was
properly launched in 2015 during the Mandela months. SAMSA has officially launched its staff volunteering initiative for 2015, aptly
named the SAMSA Change Makers Challenge. This exciting new campaign was developed in line with SAMSA’s policy of employee
ambassadorship and aims to ignite the enthusiasm of SAMSA employees to live its values and drive its mission, in accordance with its
mandate from government.
The challenge calls on SAMSA employees from around the country to nominate worthy charitable projects that they feel are particularly
deserving of SAMSA’s assistance. Four projects were selected by an independent panel of judges, with each winning project being
awarded a R60 000 donation.
The first project to receive the R60 000 donation and a visit from the SAMSA team was Boephatutse Old Age Home in Soshanguve,
Pretoria. Nominated by Itumeleng Ntsimane from the Gauteng office, the donation went towards the purchasing of much needed
basic necessities and equipment like a fridge, washing machine, heaters, linen, clothes and groceries for the home. The SAMSA team
delivered these items and spent time with the residents of the Old Age Home.
The second activation happened in Port Elizabeth when the SAMSA team honoured Change Maker Winner, Saloshini Naidoo’s project
– the St Francis Hospice. The R60,000 donation from SAMSA bought basic supplies for the Hospice and went towards making two
children’s dreams come true. For Sanelisiwe, a 10-year-old female patient diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, her dream became a
reality when the SAMSA team treated her and her mom to a lunch at McDonalds.
Next, the SAMSA team visited Mossel Bay and Paula Viera’s project - the Sea Cadet Training Ship Outeniqua. This programme provided
training and skills to address a critical skills shortage in the maritime industry. The donation from SAMSA went towards providing
transport for some of the cadets, cadet uniforms and the implementation of a tutorship programme.
The last activation happened at St Helena Bay in Paternoster where Selwyn Bailey’s project was honoured during the handover
ceremony. The money was put towards training fishermen in Helena, Paternoster and Lamberts Bay.
2015 saw the successful launch of a SAMSA volunteering initiative whereby SAMSA funded specific projects championed by individual
employees from the Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and PE offices. Although the initiative was well received, SAMSA wanted to increase
awareness around the initiative internally – take it to the next level.
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