On 14 August 2015, AfriSam handed over a cheque valued at M49 500 and groceries to Mants’ase Children’s Home in Mohale’sHoek Lesotho, as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Mbeu.

Mbeu, which means seed in TshiVenda, is AfriSam’s ongoing employee involvement programme through which employees are urged to become active participants in the efforts of giving back to their communities.

The initiative also aims to further AfriSam’s mission of building strong foundations in the communities within which the company operates. Mbeu involves staff participation programmes in which employees raise funds for various causes and in some instances get physically involved in assisting charity organisations.

Mants’ase Children’s Home, which houses about 50 children, was once again chosen as a beneficiary of the funds raised from the annual Moshoeshoe Walk. This year, employee participation doubled with thirty-three employees taking part in the Walk as compared to last year’s twenty-two. For each employee that participated in the Walk, AfriSam donated M1 500 to the Children’s Home.

“This initiative is in line with our Corporate Social Responsibility mission to understand the needs of our society and communities in areas where we do business in order to make meaningful and sustainable contributions to their upliftment. At AfriSam we are proud of our employees for contributing their personal time and efforts towards raising funds for the home,” says Thato Tsuene, Country Manager, AfriSam Lesotho.

The Children’s Home will use the funds to pay for school fees and to further their mission of providing a sanctuary for orphaned and vulnerable children aged between two and eighteen. Past contributions from AfriSam include the donation of school shoes, Moshoeshoe Walk funds of M12 000 in 2013, and M33 000 in 2014.

“Our role as AfriSam is to create concrete possibilities and empower communities to make it possible for them to realise their dreams,” added Tsuene.