Celebrating small beginnings for big future talent: Rand-Air’s commitment to rural pre-school learners

The Rand-Air CSR (Corporate Social Investment) team is involved with the upliftment of Ga-Mashupe Village, Marota Segolo in Limpopo Province. In recent years this has included supporting the community itself, as well as their local nursery school. The CSR team consists of Mpho Ngamlane, IPR (Industrial Plant Rental) Account and Communication Manager; Chantal Bekker, External Sales Representative, and Vincent Mgabi, National Service Analyst.

Members of the CSR team, represented by Mgabi together with Sales and Marketing Intern, Teboho Selekane, recently attended the year-end graduation celebration of the Grade R nursery school pupils.

Ngamlane explains: “Our relationship with the school began when we assisted the village as part of our annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, starting initially with a water and sanitation drive that began in 2018.

We soon realized that they had many other challenges: namely, additional needs for basic items and food, and for financial support. The beginning of the Covid-19 global pandemic in early 2020 only further exacerbated these problems.”

The Rand-Air CSR committee has undertaken to continue leading the company’s efforts to assist the citizens of Ga-Mashupe Village, Marota Segolo in Limpopo Province. Very importantly, notes Ngamlane, this will include supporting the nursery school in its educational endeavors.

She continues: “In May this year, we visited the school and donated food parcels. This December, we celebrated the Grade R Graduation by sponsoring school backpacks, lunch boxes, and juice bottles, for the children who will be attending Grade 1 next year. By showing our support for the importance of their education, we believe we are sponsoring their dreams and ambitions as well - so that we can help them get to a point in their lives where they will be able to sustain themselves and thrive in adulthood.”

Ngamlane emphasizes that Rand-Air is dedicated to supporting the nursery school and surrounding community going forward: “We would like to play our part in uplifting this particular nursery school as one of our CSR initiatives. I would like to challenge other businesses to get involved with adopting a school - with real meaning, intent, and involvement - not just by providing financial aid - to also assist in uplifting the futures of our children.

Education and the development of our youth is such a privilege to assist with. We look forward to continuing a long, rewarding relationship with this nursery school and its surrounding community for many years to come,” she concludes.