In recognition of Arbor Day 2017, Printing SA is challenging all South African companies to donate at least five reams of paper to schools or organisations in need.
Printing SA CEO Steve Thobela believes that Arbor Day is not only a great opportunity to celebrate the fact that paper production supports sustainable forest management and is one of the country’s most renewable and environmentally friendly resources (in South Africa, 64% of all paper is recycled and the industry has a very low carbon footprint) but it also helps educate young South Africans.
‘Paper makes the world go round and, combined with printing, is one of the cornerstones of much needed education in South Africa today. Not just our industry, but all sectors need skills and to employ young South Africans. To be employable, our future generations need to have a good education, which means they need books and paper,’ he said.
Each of the chambers within Printing SA is inviting all neighbouring businesses to collect and deliver at least five reams of paper to their nearest chamber office by August 30.
Printing SA’s Central Chamber in Gauteng (at 575 Lupton Drive, Halfway House in Midrand) will be supporting SHINE, a non-government organisation that implements literacy programmes that transform the prospects of some of South Africa’s most vulnerable children by breaking the destructive cycle of poor literacy, low educational attainment, wasted potential and poverty. They provide structured English literacy support to children, providing storybooks and readers and empowering parents and caregivers through Family Literacy Workshops.
Printing SA’s KZN Chamber (at No 2 Afriscan Park, 21 Qashana Khuzway Road, New Germany) will be supporting LIV Village, which provides holistic, residential care for orphaned and vulnerable children. The LIV model is long term cluster foster care where children are placed in a safe, family oriented environment with a trained foster mother to care for them and a school to educate them.
Printing SA’s Cape Town Chamber (at Block A Unit 8, N1 City Mews, N1 City, Cape Town) will be supporting Delft Technical High School. Opened in January 2012, it is one of five new technical high schools in the Western Cape and specialises in technical subjects such as mechanical technology, electrical technology, civil technology, engineering, graphics and design, as well as mathematics and science.
Printing SA’s Northern Chamber (at Midlands Estate, Midstream in Pretoria) will be supporting Westerlig Primary School in Danville. The school, which has 580 learners, is not adequately funded by the Department of Education and depends on the goodwill of others to deliver quality education in an economically challenged area.
If you would like to donate, please email Craig at cwinkler@printingsa.org, Susan at spetersen@printingsa.org or zzulu@printingsa.org.
If you can’t drop off, simply email the chambers above and Printing SA will come and collect.
If Printing SA collects more than is needed by the organisations above, the industry body will distribute donations to other needy, education based organisations.
