Big Hearts Challenge Succeeds and Supersedes

KLM Empowered’s outreach initiative transcends last year’s record with 8 543 lunch packs donated

KLM Empowered, South Africa’s pioneering Further Education and Training Institute, has done it again with a javelin-throw result stretching far beyond the mark of last year’s Big Hearts Community Challenge. The initiative activated a grand act of kindness inspired by Lead SA’s Movement for Good. Calling on KLM Empowered learner groups and host companies to compete internally to distribute homemade lunch packs to underprivileged citizens in their regions and communities.

This year’s Challenge took place throughout the month of July, aligning its purpose driven objectives with Nelson Mandela’s Centenary and in the name of the KLM Empowered Ubuntu Trust fund. The result: a staggering 8 543 lunch packs were handed out across the country to community members that needed it most, over a period of four weeks.

“The excitement amongst the learners was palpable,” says Lyn Mansour, CEO of KLM Empowered, “it really is something remarkable to witness when aspiring individuals team up to give of themselves. This is the truest mark of greatness amongst communities,” says Mansour.

With 14 national learner groups participating in this year’s Big Hearts Challenge, the shine was on DSV: FETC Road Transport Supervision (NQF 4) – a team of 14 learners from Johannesburg – who took first place under the facilitation of Mr. Strumpher Kluyts, with 1 300 lunch packs handed out. Cape Town pipped second place with its team of 8 DSV: FETC Business Administration (NQF 4) with a run up of 700 lunch packs while third place was awarded to Team Empangeni of MultiChoice SuperSport FETC: Business Administration (NQF 4) packing and presenting 420 lunch packs.

The KLM Empowered managers and teams, including the Company’s on-site hosted learners, spearheaded by project custodian Nontombi Mkosana, pulled out all the stops in paying it forward and concluding with a phenomenal accomplishment of making and distributing 3 400 lunch packs in the greater Johannesburg region.

The project’s success was greatly aided by donations from Sigma International who contributed 575 lunch packs, FGEA Inc, Konica Minolta and Bindpro’s generous cash donations as well as the fruit and food donations from Karen Korff, Food at Work and the KLM Empowered managers and team that gave so generously.

KLM Empowered expressed its gratitude to its national teams on social media, “Congratulations on a phenomenal accomplishment, on bringing such joy to 8 543 citizens in need, and for making a remarkable difference to so many. We applaud your efforts and thank you and your facilitators, the sponsors and collaborators for digging deep and giving BIG.” To follow the full story, visit the KLM Empowered Face Book Page https://www.facebook.com/klm.empowered/.

As a Level 1 B- BBEE project management and skills development company, KLM Empowered continues to service Government and Corporate sectors with world-class skills development whilst advocating change, human transformation and inclusion in absolute magnitude.
Since inception in 2005, the Company upholds continuous betterment through ongoing CSI initiatives and skills development programmes that encourage expansive ability amongst individuals and industry talent pipelines. Its dedication to #TheGreatnessEffect is further testament to human transformation at large, keeping KLM Empowered at the frontline of advancement and as the first choice in professional skills transfer.

For more information on the Company or how to get involved in KLM Empowered’s annual social initiatives visit www.klmempowered.com or email ubuntu@klmempowered.com
#TheGreatnessEffect

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