School Degree Talk

Dinner attended by President Club Members & other invited guests at the Sandton Sun Intercontinental

I am sure that all you have by now heard the story of the encounter that I had with some homeless children way back in 1994, and how this inspired me to found the Children’s Fund. I will not repeat that story, suffice it to say that caring for such children at risk remains at the core of the Children Fund’ work. Finding a way to establish an organisation, to make sure it began functioning quickly, and that of course, that we raised the money needed to make it effective was always going to be a challenge.

In those early days many friends and colleagues who are too numerous to mention helped me. I have been warned that if I tried to thank by name all the people who have contributed to the Children’s Fund, I would be here all night. I would however like to single out one person: the late Clive Mennel who gave unsparingly of his valuable time and experience, and who helped to draw together all the good people who made the Fund what it is today.

When I made my own commitment of R750, 000 back in 1994 I knew that this would draw in many other generous contributions. The response has been phenomenal. The generosity of people from all over the world has exceeded my expectations.

To date, the Children’s Fund has raised One Hundred and Fifty Four Million Rand.

It has approved grants totaling Fifty Five Million Rand.

The Children’s Fund staff calculates that we have touched the lives of at least Five Hundred Thousand children.

A great number of those who helped the Fund to achieve these results are here tonight. I want to thank all the President Club Members who are present, as well as those who could not attend. There are also people here tonight who have given to the Children’s Fund help, free of charge, without asking for publicity or seeking anything in return. I want to thank them as well.

All in all, people around the world have displayed an attitude of caring and concern towards to the children of South Africa, and this is truly gratifying. The role of the South African business community needs to be acknowledged. They have put more than just their money where their mouths are, they have done so with integrity and out of genuine concern for the most vulnerable sector of our society: our children and our youth.

This was evident in their response to the recent flood disasters. In addition to the One Million Rand committed by the Children’s Fund, and to the huge sums donated via the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Foundation for Community Development of which Graca Machel is the founder, the private sector has donated hundred of tons of food, water, medicine and clothes. It is at this stage worth pausing to pay tribute to one person who has devoted all her spare time and her energy into mobilising companies to make donations of material, to nagging the airforce into moving the material and reminding all of us that making resources available was not enough. We had to ensure they were delivered to those who need it most.

However, as the Chief Executive of the Fund loves to tell me, the Fund has not yet raised enough money. The Fund has charted a course that will take it into the most difficult and riskiest of areas affecting children. This year it will focus on AIDS and HIV, responding to the needs of the growing number of children who are being orphaned because their adult families and their older siblings are dying of AIDS related diseases.

The Fund also wants to make serious attempts to address the problem of youth unemployment.

It wants to implement programmes that will make lasting impact on the lives of children.

It must indeed do the things necessary to change the lives of our children for the better.

All of this will require more resources than it has at the moment. It also has to think of its own sustainability and that of its projects.

The Fund has started forging new partnerships with development agencies such as USAID, the Mott Foundation, the Ford Foundation, all of which have made very generous commitments.

In addition, it needs the continued support of individuals and corporations. It is in this context that it has developed a new donor recognition mechanism. Achmat Dangor will soon elaborate on this.

One of the new mechanisms is the Lifetime Founder’s Cub. To qualify, a donation of R1.5 million or more must be made. We will soon acknowledge our first new Lifetime Club Member.

The Fund will also continue to enter into selected fund-raising partnerships. Our criteria are that funds should be raised in a manner that heightens the awareness of the Fund’s work and maintains it integrity as a charitable organisation.

I will now ask Achmat to call up the first new Lifetime Member, who will hand over a cheque in return for our certificate.

Finally I want to thank you all once more for attending this event and to urge that you to continue supporting Children’s Fund.

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