Local fashion house looks out for the community
MIDRAND – Lawrence Umukoro, manager at Africa Fashion House, said they would first focus on helping the community and focus on their business after the lockdown.
Local apparel manufacturing company, Africa Fashion House has dedicated their efforts to helping the less fortunate and becoming a beacon of hope during a pandemic.
The company started an initiative to help less fortunate, elderly and vulnerable people in the community by producing and giving them masks to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Manager Lawrence Umukoro said they started producing the masks two weeks earlier. They now have 40 people on the first shift, 40 on the second shift and can produce up to 5 000 masks per day.
He added that they focus especially on the elderly, “We have given our address [in Noordwyk] out so they can come here and receive masks to last them for a week.”
Umukoro said give out masks as soon as they have finished making them. “There are a lot of complexes around and most of the security guards are not protected. So as we drive around and, where we see that there is need, we just pull over and give [it to] them.”
He added that with nine branches and 98 staff personnel they have had to shut down all their branches due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
“Only the people who live around here and are working here at the Midrand branch come work with us to produce masks,” he explained.
Thankfully, the sale of the masks brings in some revenue, which allows them to donate 80 per cent of their masks to those in need.
“We donate 80 per cent of our production, and sell the rest to customers. Let’s give back first, post lockdown lets worry about ourselves.”
The clothing manufacturing company also donated a few masks to the the Sector 3 Crime Forum.
Umukoro said that because the SCF were doing programmes daily, going into the community and giving to displaced people, they felt it necessary to donate to them and also contribute to their initiatives.
Chairman for the Sector 3 Crime Forum, Marvin Maphiri, who received the masks said that corporate social investments (CSI) are vital for small, medium and micro-sized enterprises to adopt and cement relevance in their immediate communities. “We are pleased by the steps undertaken by African Fashion House especially now during this global pandemic crisis,” he added.
Vulnerable people looking for masks can email info@africafashionhouse.com or go to their place of business at 53 Oudekraal Close, Noordwyk. Alternatively, they can contact Mahlaku Mashiane, who is in charge of the distribution in Noordwyk.
Details: info@africafashionhouse.com; 082 677 7564.
