Bureau Veritas drives social and economic change during Mandela Month campaign

Johannesburg, South Africa, 31 July 2019 – Bureau Veritas Southern Africa, the global leader in Testing, Inspection, and Certification, continues to set the pace in the empowerment and social responsibility terrains of corporate South Africa. The company, renowned for services and innovative solutions to ensure client products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility; has completed a month-long campaign around social justice, education and socio-economic upliftment.

Under the auspices of VP for Bureau Veritas Southern Africa, Ms Sal Govender, the company’s Human Resources team, through the leadership of Ms Beatrice Scharneck, set about making a social and economic difference in the lives of beneficiaries in the regions in which the company employees live and work. Bureau Veritas enjoys a strong ethos of actively demonstrating social responsibility by regularly supporting communities through education, technical, safety and environmental societal causes. Changing South Africa one person at a time, the Bureau Veritas Corporate Responsibility Committee encouraged all employees to commit to making a difference in the lives of others through a moving Pledge Ceremony marketing the launch of the campaign on 1^st July. The 2018 launched Ithemba Trust also lent gravitas to the July campaign, championing the weekly activations with motivational speeches and words of encouragement for the beneficiaries.

Weekly activations saw the company pay visits to various beneficiaries. On 8^th July, Bureau Veritas visited Home of Hope, an orphanage for abused and neglected young girls, whose vision is to end child trafficking and tackling the culture of sexual exploitation, violence and criminality. The company provided the girls with new footwear, toiletries, games, cosmetics, and nail and foot care products.

Mandela Day, 18^th July, saw the Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Sasolburg branches of the company give back to society and enhance the lives of others in meaningful ways. Ntsikana Primary School was paid a visit by Bureau Veritas, and 10 laptops were donated to the computer laboratory, which only had two computers for the 1100 learners. An employee book drive ensured a sizeable literature contribution was donated to the school. The Cape Town office visited St Anne’s Homes, a safe house for women and moms with their children. Donating stationery for the women’s workshops and kiddie party packs for the children, the company also provided hygiene products for the woman and baby food for the babies. In her private capacity, Bureau Veritas employee, Ms Elna Matthews made 24 dog jackets and donated 12 of these to Vaal Pets and the remaining dozen to the SPCA; as well as dog and cat food.

Later in the month, on 22^nd July, the Bureau Veritas Centurion branch supported the local Sammy’s Day Care Centre by painting classrooms in bright, happy colours, enhancing the sustainability of the premises. The company invested ten laptops into the centre’s computer laboratory, a much-needed educational tool. Employees repaired ablution facilities and provided artwork materials for the young children, as well as party boxes and lunch. The teachers were gifted with mugs and sought-after stationery.

The 25^th July saw Bureau Veritas join hands with a non-profit organization, Baby’s Home in Umlazi, Durban, a place of safety for abandoned and/or orphaned babies. The company donated a much-required microwave to the Home as well as “infant boxes” comprising of bottles, blankets, nappies, baby formula, baby wipes, baby toiletries and clothing. Employees also spent time with the carers and babies in the Home. www.peaceagency.org.za

Bureau Veritas And Their Corporate Responsibility Team Low Res