The SKF and St Andrews Legae Community Childcare Project£¨Pic)

The SKF and St Andrews Legae Community Childcare Project(Pic) SKF South Africa started a number of social responsibility projects to care for communities that are affected by the by the HIV/Aids pandemic. This is part of SKF's vision globally, to play a significant role in sustainability and social responsibility in the markets that it operates in. The new community childcare initiative was based on the shared vision of both SKF and St Andrews Presbyterian church namely, to care for the well being and education of disadvantaged children in these communities. A new facility, established in Daveyton, will focus on children who are affected by HIV/Aids. The challenges facing SKF were that funds needed to be allocated to projects where the positive effect can be monitored and where the company could partake in the financial management of such a project, without concerns of misappropriation. St Andrews, on the other hand, could provide some monitory support, management and people resource, but the long term funding of these projects could become a serious financial strain. Hence a partnership was formed, with SKF providing the bulk of the financial support as well as volunteer services from its employees, whilst St Andrews will provide financial, management, training and volunteer services. Both SKF and St Andrews saw the need to help children in the local communities, as the number of orphans in South Africa are increasing and could reach 3 million in the next 3 to 5 years. They realised that an intervention of this nature could not be short-term, and that they had to work towards a long term solution and that sustainability of this project should be ensured. SKF and St Andrews embarked on finding an appropriate project and with the help of the St Marks church in Daveyton, who became the third partner in this project; a property in Daveyton was found and a child care centre project was established. On 31st of March 2007, SKF South Africa, St Andrews and St Marks officially opened "LEGAE", meaning "home". This childcare centre will initially provide care for 40 children affected by HIV/Aids. SKF believes that projects of this nature are extremely important for South Africa's future. Many large corporations have funds available for social projects but are simply not spending the money. Most companies have the same objectives, namely that they would like to see measurable, responsible application funds donated. At the same time, many charitable organisations and churches would like to become involved or expand such projects but they lack financial resources. Hence, if corporations, churches, charitable organisations etc., can find ways to partner and pool resources, projects required to effectively address community needs, can be established. As a socially responsible company, one of SKF's tasks is to set an example and to "market" this approach as a very viable solution. The fight to control and reverse the HIV/aids pandemic requires mass mobilisation of government, industries and charitable organisations (local and international). It is SKF's vision to assist in this project to the best of its ability and in so doing, touch the lives of South Africa's disadvantaged children.