Five South Africans who spend their cash and time to make a difference in society are honoured

05 November 2015 - 16:57 By Staff reporter
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Internationally recognised jazz and hip hop dancer/choreographer Paul Modjadji received the Inyathelo Award for Philanthropy in the Arts. File photo
Internationally recognised jazz and hip hop dancer/choreographer Paul Modjadji received the Inyathelo Award for Philanthropy in the Arts. File photo
Image: Inyathelo

A dancer‚ a dairywoman from KwaZulu-Natal‚ a 13-year-old pianist‚ a life coach and an attorney are the five recipients of this year’s Inyathelo Philanthropy Awards.

The awards‚ under the helm of the South African Institute for Advancement‚ were announced today at the Waterfront in Cape Town.

Inyathelo Executive Director Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge says all of the awardees demonstrated initiative and leadership‚ and have used their personal funds in a strategic way to make a difference.

“Philanthropy is dependent on the interest‚ passion‚ commitment‚ generosity and foresight of individuals like those we have honoured today. Our awards seek to inspire others to give by recognising the incredible role models that live and work amongst us.

We believe philanthropists play a critical role in effecting real systemic change as they are able to support more innovative and often unconventional solutions to our numerous social‚ environmental and economic challenges in South Africa‚” Madlala-Routledge said in a statement.

The philanthropists recognised in 2015 are:
- Internationally recognised jazz and hip hop dancer/choreographer Paul Modjadji received the Inyathelo Award for Philanthropy in the Arts.


Modjadji established the Dare to Dream Foundation five years ago‚ offering free art‚ drama and leadership programmes to disadvantaged youngsters in Hammanskraal‚ north of Pretoria‚ where he grew up. Since then‚ he has reached over 10‚000 young people across South Africa.
His next project is to raise funds to build dance academies in townships.

- 13-year-old pianist and community activist‚ Tyrone Aaron‚ is the recipient of the 2015 Inyathelo Award for Children in Philanthropy.

 

Just before his 10th birthday‚ Aaron heard about the possible closure of an organisation that cares for people with intellectual disabilities. He asked his mother to organise a concert to raise funds for the home.

The concert raised R25‚000.
The young musical protégé has continued to hold concerts for children in difficult circumstances. He has assisted children who suffered during the xenophobia crisis as well as the Marakana mining strikes by providing them with warm clothing and shoes.

He recently also raised over R45‚000 for the Sabi Sands Conservation Trust and Rhino SA after reading about the brutal killing of more rhinos by poachers in Mpumalanga.

- Howick dairywoman Judy Stuart is the recipient of the 2015 Inyathelo Award for Philanthropy in Economic Development. She is the founder of the Future Farmers Foundation.

Stuart initiated an informal farming apprentice-placement programme for disadvantaged learners from Zakhe Agricultural College in KwaZulu-Natal nine years ago.

She organises apprenticeships for young people on commercial farms and finds placements for the best students on globally competitive farms around the world. On their return to South Africa‚ Judy assists them to find jobs with local farmers.

Many young people without the necessary resources for further study have benefitted from the ‘earn-as-you-learn’ opportunities created by Judy’s foundation‚ with many now in senior management positions on large commercial farms both in South Africa and abroad‚ Inyathelo’s citation said.

- Lawyer and founder of The X Foundation‚ Nonkululeko Xulu‚ is the recipient of 2015 Inyathelo Award for Philanthropy in Education.

Established five years ago‚ the foundation specifically targets children in Grades 1 to 12 from Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal where Xulu grew up. Each of her beneficiaries are awarded a bursary that provides for school fees‚ uniforms and stationery for a whole year.

She also ensures the youngsters get the necessary support they need to succeed by providing food parcels as well as health‚ fitness and life skills training and advice.

- Life Coach and Founder of Project Ignition‚ Shamillah Wilson‚ is the recipient of the 2015 Inyathelo Award for Women in Philanthropy.

Wilson established the project three years ago to provide leadership training to disadvantaged youngsters between the ages of 16 and 22 in the Western Cape‚ targeting youth in areas affected by drugs‚ gangsterism‚ poverty and violence.
She funds the programme through her own private business coaching consultancy.

Madlala-Routledge said civil society organisations and anchor institutions like universities rely heavily on individual or private giving.

“I believe anyone can be a philanthropist... It really doesn’t matter how much you give‚ it’s what you are able to achieve with what you share that really counts. Growing philanthropy in support of our civil society and higher education institutions will help strengthen our democracy and realise its fruits for those who have been excluded and marginalised‚” she added.

Over 90 philanthropists from various backgrounds have so far been honoured with Inyathelo Philanthropy Awards in previous years‚ including founder of the Hope Warriors Children’s Charity Patrick Mashanda; former Vice Chancellor of Rhodes University Dr Saleem Badat; Paul Bruns who set up a project to rehabilitate convicted offenders; and co-founders of the Spread Luv Movement‚ Kgomotso Mokoena and Alice Wamundiya; a former car guard from Rwanda who established an organisation to provide tertiary education for refugees.

Previous business recipients include asset management entrepreneur Dr Allan Gray‚ who has donated more than a billion rand over 33 years to education and other causes in South Africa‚ and founder of Pep Stores Renier van Rooyen who has “demonstrated unwavering compassion and financial generosity throughout his life to poor and vulnerable communities‚ particularly in the Northern and Western Cape”.

Family Philanthropy awards have previously been awarded to the Ackerman‚ Cloete and Lubner families. Projects they have supported span education‚ community upliftment‚ disaster relief‚ the arts and helping children with mental and physical disabilities.

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