MORE LIVES CHANGED WITH DIS-CHEM AND PRIMEDIA BROADCASTING
10/09/10 Thursday, 13 August 2009
The Dis-Chem Foundation and Primedia Broadcasting’s 567 CapeTalk in Cape Town and Talk Radio 702 and 94.7 Highveld Stereo in Joburg continue to help improve the lives of people in need across South Africa.
This last month saw Dis-Chem and 567 CapeTalk take the weight off the shoulders of a young family and stock and furnish an underprivileged school with a library.
A mother of three had struggled for years to find accommodation for her family. She had applied for a subsidised house in the Mitchells Plain Housing project but tragically passed away just before the application was approved. Her children, the eldest aged 19, who is now the sole breadwinner, recently moved into the empty house.
Touched by the family’s story, Dis-Chem offered to assist the children with beds, a fridge, stove and basic kitchen utensils, as well as groceries for the balance of the year.
A school library is crucial in helping develop reading skills in children. However, a number of underprivileged schools across the Cape simply cannot afford to buy books.
CapeTalk host John Maytham asked listeners for a list of books they believed should be included in a school library and urged them to nominate schools in need of a library.
Children of Bissets Drift Primary School in the farming community of Vyeboom were thrilled to hear that they will be getting their very own library stocked with an array of books.
In celebration of women’s month, 94.7 Highveld Stereo and the Dis-Chem Foundation helped complete the development of two houses for Hope Village Developments, a non-profit women’s organisation that does holistic-development work with mothers who care for AIDS orphans.
The Village started building two three-bedroom houses for families who are fostering HIV/AIDS infected and affected children but ran out of funds before the job was completed. Dis-Chem Foundation assisted by contributing to their electricity and plumbing needs to the value of R100 000.
A group of learners from a school for autistic children also benefited this month. The Aqua School (which stands for Autism Quality of Life) is the only facility in Joburg that caters for autistic teenagers. Three learners, all from underprivileged homes, could not afford to pay the school fees. The Foundation kindly agreed to give bursaries to these children at a cost totally R120 000.
Another school in 702land, New Comet Primary School in Boksburg, received a much-needed facelift with the help of the Foundation and Talk Radio 702.
The school was in dire condition. Without any security or fencing around the perimeter, it had become a foot route for residents living in the adjacent squatter camp and a dumping ground for litter. The school building itself was falling apart. All the wooden floors were rotten and desks and chairs broken.
After a site visit, the Foundation and Talk Radio 702 donated R100 000 worth of furniture and building repairs and R75 000 worth of fencing to the school.
The Dis-Chem Foundation Fund – a beneficiary of Dis-Chem Pharmacies’ Benefits Programme – gives Dis-Chem shoppers the opportunity to donate a percentage of the value of their purchase towards worthy causes each time they swipe their membership card at any Dis-Chem pharmacy. Dis-Chem further adds to the kitty when and where it is needed.
Throughout the year 94.7 Highveld Stereo and Talk Radio 702 in Gauteng and 567 CapeTalk and 94.5Kfm in Cape Town, look for various ways to provide care and support to charities, organisations or groups of individuals in desperate need of help. By partnering with the Dis-chem Foundation the radio stations are able to make a number of social investments.
For more information on the Kfm Cares initiative and the Dis-chem Foundation Fund, log onto www.kfm.co.za, or www.dischem.co.za | 
