Chemicals and energy company Sasol is set to handover close to 20 000 books to the Maharishi Institute the Girls and Boys Club of Soweto, at the Jabavu Community Library and the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), in the maiden project of its global ‘Sasol for Good’ initiative.

“As our first global Sasol for Good project we called on our people to contribute to the educational development of children in communities worldwide,” says Sasol energy and business VP Maurice Radebe.

The Jabavu Community Library which was constructed at total cost of R14 million and opened in 2008 is said to be the largest and best equipped in Soweto. The library already has an extensive array of over 50 000 books which cater for over 47 696 members, and with the new books from Sasol, the library is being touted to further increase its operational capacity.

Meanwhile Sasol notes that the Maharishi Institute’s vision of developing a new generation of leaders for South Africa ties in with the company’s endeavour to shape and enable superior learning and reinforce educational development in the country.  The institute further boasts a 4 000 ha nature reserve which features a rural eco-village in Ezemvelo as part of its sustainability project.

Further, Sasol has maintained its engagement with the VUT of Technology through programmes such as Sasol Techno X, the company’s flagship career, science and mathematics expo. Last year the university received the award for best exhibition at the expo.

Employees across the chemicals and energy company’s operations in South Africa, spanning from Sasolburg, to Secunda and Johannesburg further consolidated efforts in donating education toys and books during the month of international Nelson Mandela Day.

The company’s Sasol’s for good initiative is a global employee volunteerism programme which employs the considerable and diverse expertise of its people around the world to perform and active role building international communities in projects relating to sustainable development.

Included in the programme is the development and implementation of the global chemical industry’s Responsible Care initiatives, and participation in working groups of the European Chemical Industries’ Council and the South African Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association.

The Sasol for Good initiative further sees commissions the energy and chemicals company to participating in the annual climate change and water disclosures of the CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project).