Community involvement

The AECI Group recognises its responsibility as a corporate citizen to make a positive contribution to communities, especially those previously disadvantaged and located in areas where AECI businesses operate. The main thrusts of the Group’s social investment initiatives are in education, health and environmental projects. Some of the major contributions made in 2010, in money or in kind, are described here.

AECI Chemistry Laboratory – University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

AECI has committed an amount of R15 million, over the next five years from 2011, towards the building of a chemistry laboratory as part of the new Science Stadium under construction on the University of the Witwatersrand’s West Campus. It is expected that the laboratory will be in use from February 2012. In addition to being used by the University’s students, the University intends establishing an outreach programme which will see secondary school learners from previously disadvantaged areas, where facilities and equipment are often sorely lacking, having access to the laboratory so as to enhance their learning and appreciation of chemistry.

AECI views this investment as a worthwhile longer-term step in addressing the skills shortages that prevail in the chemicals sector.

Sparrow Schools Educational Trust

AECI continued to support the Sparrow Schools Educational Trust. In addition to financial assistance in the amount of R250 000, the Trust received furnishings and artwork that were surplus to requirements at AECI’s Head Office. Sparrow fills some of the service delivery gaps that exist in South Africa’s education system which result in children and youth who cannot cope academically, in addition to coming from low income or child-headed households or children’s homes, not receiving appropriate schooling.

They are vulnerable to dropping out of the education system and often face exclusion from the country’s economic activity as a consequence.

Sparrow concentrates on the provision of Adult Basic Education and Training in numeracy and literacy; vocational skills training in catering, motor mechanics, carpentry, clothing production, creative design and technology, and welding; computer literacy; entrepreneurship and lifeskills training. Programmes are complemented by learner support services, such as psychosocial assessments and interventions, participation in work experience initiatives, and cultural activities.

AEL together with the TISO AEL Development Trust, a trust established by TISO Capital, a shareholder in AEL, contributed about R1 million to social investment in 2010. The projects included:

Tembisa Schools

Under the auspices of the Maths Centre, four primary and four secondary schools in Tembisa were supported again. The Centre concentrates on upgrading mathematics and science education. Sixty workshops were held for learners in Grades 10, 11 and 12. Year-end results for Grade 12s for mathematics and science improved by an average of 17%.

CIDA

The Trust also continued to support five students studying Business Administration at CIDA City Campus. The financial assistance provided covered tuition fees and a monthly subsistence allowance. An additional investment in the students was made via the provision by AEL of vacation work. All five completed their studies in 2010 and were employed as students by AEL.

Internship Programme

Six interns worked at AEL at different times in 2010. One was placed in the Engineering Training function, one in the Nitrates Department, two in Finance and two joined AEL’s Human Resources function. Regrettably, difficulties were experienced in placing a disabled intern into AEL owing to the limited scope of options available. Possibilities continue to be investigated. Six new interns will join the programme in 2011.

Inkatha Primary School

The construction of two, fully equipped classrooms and a fully furnished office block for the school management team is under way at Inkatha Primary School in KwaMakhutha, KwaZulu-Natal. About R866 000 is being invested in this project.

Science and environmental outreach project

The chemicals cluster continued to fund an outreach programme in Hoedspruit coordinated by Southern Cross School, a nature-based schooling system. The programme includes environmental education, mathematics, physical science, technology and computer literacy. It is targeted at educators from disadvantaged surrounding rural areas in Hoedspruit, Limpopo. The contribution for 2010 totalled R460 000.

An amount of R60 000 was also donated to Southern Cross School towards the funding of bursaries for students from the surrounding Hoedspruit area.

Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA)

CANSA received R300 000 for the renovation and running costs of lodging facilities for parents of children with cancer at Polokwane Hospital, in the North West, and for outreach support to the children in the wards.

This project began nine years ago, with the aim of reducing the impact of cancer on children and their families. The project is comprehensive and offers the child and his/her family the necessary devices, accommodation, support and information. CANSA hopes to extend this concept to the rest of South Africa in future. The initiative demonstrates that with the right knowledge, support and stimulation, children and their families can be motivated and empowered to fight cancer.

Bursaries

Bursaries continue to be offered to university students who are selected on academic merit, with an emphasis on candidates from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.

The chemicals cluster has introduced an employee dependant bursary scheme to assist the deserving children of employees who wish to pursue a tertiary education. Ten such bursaries were awarded in the year. In total, 39 students were funded in 2010. This represents an investment of about R1,5 million.

Other

A number of smaller donations, for a combined sum of about R150 000, were made to charity organisations that focus on education, health and people with disabilities.

R116 000 was committed to a range of social investment projects in the year. These were in the areas of enterprise development, secondary and tertiary education, HIV/Aids education and prevention, environmental awareness, community upliftment, and sport sponsorship.

Heartland’s Quality of Life Committee considers all requests for assistance, using as the overriding criterion the desire to maximise benefits to the greatest number of disadvantaged people in the local communities in which the business operates.

Rental subsidies to previously disadvantaged individuals totalled R3,2 million in the year.

Cotlands

Over several years, AECI and Heartland have developed a relationship with Cotlands, particularly at Somerset West. Cotlands is a non-profit organisation that offers shelter for abused, abandoned, HIV-infected, orphaned and terminally ill children from birth to six years. In addition, community-based services are provided for vulnerable children from birth to 12 years in five of South Africa’s provinces.

Cotlands in the Western Cape has a hospice and a sanctuary. Thanks to the successful introduction of antiretroviral therapy, the children now move through the units, depending on their needs at any given time. As part of its residential care programmes the organisation promotes independence and competency for people living with HIV/Aids and, through its community outreach activities, it addresses the social impact of the HIV/Aids epidemic in the province.

A key to Cotland’s success is the provision of holistic care, ensuring that the particular needs of each child are met from medical, developmental and emotional status perspectives.

Cotlands commenced its work at Somerset West in an old disused factory building on the AECI site. Its community programme services have outgrown the premises which it occupies rent-free as a beneficiary of Heartland’s corporate social investment.

More recently, it was recognised that redevelopment and conversion of the land to a zoned township meant that the existing site occupied by Cotlands would have to make way for an electricity servitude.

Cotlands and Heartland mutually identified an alternative, permanent site within the new township. An existing heritage building, which can be redeveloped, and sufficient land to cater for all of Cotlands’ future growth needs have been earmarked for the purpose.

The building and land made available for the new facility afford Cotlands the opportunity to achieve optimal design in terms of its facilities requirements and specialised service offering. It has provided the organisation with security of tenure to establish a permanent presence in Somerset West.

The proposed site, with an estimated value of R10 million, will be handed over once the appropriate rezoning approvals have been procured by Heartland. Construction of the new facility will then be possible. AECI and Heartland are confident that the partnership with Cotlands represents a worthwhile contribution to the local community.

It is currently envisaged that the new building will be ready for occupation in three years’ time. In the interim, Heartland has assisted Cotlands further by reducing its monthly rental by more than 60%.