What should have been a year of celebrating StreetSmart’s 15th anniversary of making a difference, turned into a year of relentless challenges brought about by COVID-19’s devastating impact on StreetSmart’s major source of fundraising. Despite the various phases of lockdown affecting the hospitality industry, StreetSmart managed to raise a total of R615 000 to support 35 organisations working with the country’s most vulnerable children for 2021.
In the Cape Winelands, StreetSmart is operational in Franschhoek, Helderberg, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Wellington. Collectively StreetSmart fundraising partners and their patrons raised R150 000 for their respective Winelands beneficiaries, The Kusasa Project, Home from Home Winelands, Pebbles Project, Stellumthombo and NorSA. The funds raised help these local organisations towards retaining educational support teachers as well as social and auxiliary social workers working with vulnerable children.
“Once again, on behalf of the children and the community as a whole we managed to reach, we say thank you to StreetSmart and their partners for their generous donation which assists NorSA in changing the destiny of children and their families in need!” says Petra Nel, project manager at NorSA Community Care in Wellington.
Saskia Blaisse, fundraising manager at The Kusasa Project in Franschhoek, also expresses her gratitude: “The StreetSmart support helps us to continue with our mission to change the lives ofchildren through early childhood education.”
The Kusasa Project
Funds are raised by adding a R5 donation to a patron’s bill. This donation is voluntary and donors are able to contribute more if they wish to. There are currently 16 establishments in the Winelands that have embraced StreetSmart’s vision to make a real difference to the lives of children at risk of living on the streets, through giving their guests the opportunity to be real change makers in their own community.
“StreetSmart is an incredible initiative in its uncomplicated, transparent way of fundraising, with dynamic impact. We are proud to be a StreetSmart fundraising partner and convey our collective thanks for the great job they are doing for the children,” says Johan Erasmus, Managing Director at Glen Carlou Vineyards.
StreetSmart invites more businesses to make a real, long-term difference in their local communities R5 at a time by becoming fundraising partners.
“StreetSmart’s fundraising was severely impacted by the lockdown, but in spite of current financial pressures, we are still grateful to be able to disburse funds to support this life-changing work with vulnerable children.” says Melanie Burke, Chairman of StreetSmart SA.
StreetSmart SA was set up in 2005 by a group of concerned Capetonians under the patronage of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and comprises resourceful board members representing business, and the hospitality and tourism industries. Similar StreetSmart organisations also run independently in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and The Netherlands.
StreetSmart SA is registered as a Public Benefit Organisation as well as a Non-profit Organisation and ensures that every cent donated by guests goes towards social and educational upliftment projects for street children. StreetSmart's goal is to be part of the process of social normalisation and to encourage the public not to give money into the hands of a child as this keeps them on the streets. In essence, donating to StreetSmart where you eat, sleep, taste and enjoy is the responsible way to help a street child.
For more information or to make a donation, contact StreetSmart SA at Tel: 021 447 3227 email info@streetsmartsa.org.za or visit www.streetsmartsa.org.za.
Below is the list of Winelands fundraising partners:
FRANSCHHOEK
Entrée Restaurant
Foliage
Good Food & Co
Monneaux @ Franschhoek Country House
The Franschhoek Beer Co
HELDERBERG
Dinner for 20 BISTRO (Somerset West)
PAARL
Restaurant @ Glen Carlou
STELLENBOSCH
Jordan Restaurant
Kunjani Wines
Majeka Kitchen
Rust en Vrede Restaurant
wine.co.za
WELLINGTON
Bain's Caffé
Dinner for 20
Grand Dédale
Wellington Wines
There are plenty of good news stories about upliftment and transformation in the South African Wine Industry. The #wineforgood website, launched by wine.co.za in June 2016, hosts all the positive stories from the winelands, of which there are plenty. wine.co.za has made April a focus for #wineforgood stories. Share them far and wide and spread the good news about South African wine.