Corporate Social Investment
Ithemba Foundation
The Ithemba Foundation was formed to provide a professional service whereby certain commercial functions that would ordinarily have been performed by local companies, can be outsourced to Ithemba. In exchange for rendering these services, Ithemba receives fees in relation to the value of the work and projects undertaken. This income source allows them to perform vital functions within the Somerset East community that include:
Adult education
- Skills development (crafts)
- Literacy
- Numeracy
Safe houses for:
- AIDS orphans
- Street children
A feeding scheme for disadvantaged people
Clothing and blankets for the needy
“Piece-Work” Programme
Besides the Ithemba Foundation’s work above, the local community have been engaged for over the past 20 years, to provide assistance in assembly processes for world-class science kits that have been distributed in over 70 countries around the world and which have been used by more than 2 000 000 children. These assembly procedures extend to many product items (for eg. LEDs’ and leads for electricity kits etc.).
In doing so members of the community are able to provide for the needs of their families in one of the most impoverished areas of South Africa. They are known as piece-workers who earn their daily income through the System. These piece-workers manufacture and assemble components that go into the kits which are revolutionising attitudes to Science among children in both rural environments and “first-world” classrooms around the globe.
CSI Programmes
Somerset also provides assistance to companies to execute their CSI programmes in respect of science education. This includes assisting in the design and building of the laboratories, the supply of equipment and training. There are various packages available designed according to the level of funding available. For assistance in this regard please forward your request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
