• VW Community Trust pledges R1,2 million to support local NPOs for the next 12 months
• Support will assist with community and youth upliftment projects

Kariega - In line with its priorities of youth and community development, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) has pledged its support to 10 non-profit organisations working in the communities of Nelson Mandela Bay. Through its Community Trust, the company has committed R1,2 million in support of these organisations over the next 12 months. Six of the organisations were previously beneficiaries of the Community Trust, with the partnerships being renewed recently. The other four organisations have been approved as new beneficiaries. The organisations include:

• Thand'usana Babies Safe Home, a safe haven for abandoned, abused and neglected babies in Gqeberha;
• Khayalethu Youth Centre, which provides a home for 35 formerly homeless boys and provides them with physical, emotional and intellectual support to reach their potential;
• Community Chest, a non-profit organisation focusing on initiatives to promote education, health, skills development and community development;
• Ubomi Obutsha Centre, which works with at-risk children in KwaZakhele and supports them in social, cognitive and academic development through various programmes;
• Nakhane Empowerment, a youth-led organisation dedicated to bringing about positive change through education, business and sports programmes for young people;
• Pandora's Music Box, which spreads and promotes musical knowledge among the youth of Gelvandale, Helenvale and surrounding areas;
• Masifunde Learner Development, which runs a holistic youth development programme and offers educational support to learners from historically disadvantaged communities;
• Family Restoration, an organisation working with children who have been abandoned, abused or orphaned in Motherwell, Wells Estate, Kamvelihle and surrounding informal settlements;
• Ray Mhlaba Skills Training Centre, an extension of the EP Children's Homes that offers skills training and work readiness programmes to unemployed youth;
• Maranatha Street Workers' Trust, which works with the metro's homeless and unemployed and assists them to become self-sustaining members of society.

“As the VW Community Trust, our priorities include the promotion of community and youth development,” said Nonkqubela Maliza, Director of Corporate and Government Affairs at VWSA. “The organisations we are supporting align with these priorities and play an instrumental role in uplifting the communities in which VWSA operates. We remain committed as a caring corporate citizen to playing our part in bettering the lives of the people in these communities, and by supporting these excellent organisations we are able to touch their lives and truly make a difference.” Ends