Established Projects

LESEDI LA BATHO

The Lesedi la Batho Centre in Mobopane was specifically created for unemployed people and has provided many with skills, from sewing to beadwork, and computer skills and baking, allowing them to make and sell a range of merchandise to the public. They also have a life-skills course for young people who have not completed their education, where they can learn basic skills. One of the divisions, Amogelang Diphetogo, manufactures teddy bears which helps to sustains approximately 20 ladies and their families in the Mabopane community.

In the interests of sustainability, Lewis/Beares supports this project by ordering bears which we donate to children in hospitals, hospices, children’s homes and places of safety for children. To date we have donated 2250 bears to delighted young children.

RAPE CRISES CENTRES

The Rape Crisis Centre in the Helderberg area operates from a few rooms adjacent to the Hottentots Holland Hospital and counsels all rape victims of the hospital and the community, from young children to the elderly, including boys and men who have been abused. Each month we contribute towards the general operating costs of the centre.

We have committed to a monthly contribution towards PATCH, a rape crisis centre for young children in Macassar. This contribution assists with their general operating costs. Some years ago, Lewis funded the modular unit located behind the Macassar police station, where PATCH is located.

COMMUNITY UPLIFTMENT

Funding has been provided to social projects and community upliftment in many precincts, the support extends to schools, crèches, upliftment projects, vegetable growing projects and orphanages. This includes shelters that assist displaced/homeless people with assessment and reintegration into society. We also support a number of centres for the aged.

LEARN TO EARN

Since inception in 1989, Learn to Earn has trained over 13 000 in market driven skills and seen many lives transformed through their holistic skills training, job creation and enterprise development projects. They have maintained a success rate of 80% of graduates becoming economically active or who are in further education as a result of LtE’s training interventions.

10% of LtE graduates have started their own businesses, once again demonstrating the importance of their E³ (Enterprise Enabling Environment) department. We have sponsored Bake-for-Profit and Call Centre students again this year. We also support their organisation by purchasing chair bags for our ECD projects each year.

SA CHILDREN’S HOME

The SA Children’s home in the Gardens was established in 1808. It provides a home for more than 40 boys and girls. The children come from a variety of communities, often placed in the home via the court system. The home receives a degree of funding from Social Development; however, this only covers a small percentage of their needs.

We support this home on an on-going basis with various requirements and continue to sponsor the salary of a care worker each month.

DURBANVILLE CHILDREN’S HOME

The home was established since 1883 and takes care of approximately 150 children; we support them with various needs and requests. The Durbanville Children’s Home only receives a third of its annual budget from Government and has to raise an additional R 7 000 000 to ensure the sustainability of the Home. Lewis is the major sponsor of the home’s fundraising Women’s Day Breakfast each year, a profit of R137,813 was made last year.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

This category encompasses youth at risk and we support organisations which provide skills development, training and manage events which engage youth in positive activities. (e.g. Amy Biehl Foundation, Scout Groups, Pinotage Youth Development, Girls and Boys Town).

SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

We support community sports clubs with branded sports gear, equipment, etc. as requested and provide funding towards sports tournaments for schools and clubs in areas where we have branches and where our customers live.