Community leaders receive R100k
Affectionately known as "mama", these community leaders collectively care for over 15 500 children and 2 500 elderly.
Since 2004, Clover Mama Afrika has provided essential skills and equipment to hardworking, deserving women who serve communities in each of the nine provinces of South Africa.
Affectionately known as “mama”, these community leaders collectively care for over 15 500 children and 2 500 elderly since the project’s conception.
Hugely important to the success of Clover Mama Afrika is the open-hearted attitude of the programme’s corporate partners and sponsors, who assist in making a meaningful difference to so many needy people across South Africa.
Transport and logistics solutions company Eqstra Flexi Fleet has been a valuable friend of the project for many years, impacting the lives of 16 Clover mama’s since 2007.
“Through the fantastic support of Eqstra Flexi Fleet, we have been able to donate 10 vehicles to the winning mamas between 2007 and 2012 in our lucky draw programme. This has enabled them to gain much-needed mobility to run their community assistance programmes. Not all of our mamas have driver’s licenses, so over the past four years we decided to award cash prizes that can be used towards helping our mamas to improve their facilities and services to their communities,” said Professor Elain Vlok, who heads up the successful Clover Mama Afrika programme and who is the manager for Clover’s corporate services.
Between 2015 and 2016, four mama’s each won an amazing R100 000 in cash prizes from Eqstra Flexi Fleet, which went towards upgrading their community centres.
Mama Mirriam Makamu of Sipho and Mary’s Bakery in Tembisa started her bakery in 2004, with a vision to serve the community by providing nutritious, affordable baked goods.
The space at the bakery had become too small and her grand prize money was used to restructure the bakery, which has been a dream of hers for a long time.
Ms Makamu’s bakery employs six permanent staff and five casual workers.
“When I started the bakery I was met with different challenges due to a lack of experience, but hard work and persistence paid off because I saw the business grow. Today we are a well-known bakery in our area and the demand of our products keeps increasing, but we are limited due to a lack of equipment and proper working environment. The support I will receive from Clover Mama Afrika will definitely help me and I am very excited,” said Mama Makamu.
To date, Clover Mama Afrika has appointed 42 Mamas around South Africa, who assist the most vulnerable in their communities, especially children, through increasing their self-sufficiency, sustainability and income-generating potential.
