Schneider Electric supports Emthonjeni Community Centre

The Emthonjeni Community Centre vegetable and herb garden in Zandspruit is expected to supply more fresh and nutritional vegetables.

This follows the garden’s expansion by Schneider Electric South Africa on December 7. In support of International Volunteer Day and Giving Tuesday, the company expanded the vegetable and herb garden and contributed towards its recycling swop shop on its premises.
Schneider Electric volunteers prepared various vegetable beds and planted spinach, kale, potatoes, and cabbage seedlings and donated numerous items towards Emthonjeni’s recycling swop shop.

Estelle Mengel, partnership developer at Emthonjeni, said they are continually inspired by the dedication and generosity of individuals like those at Schneider Electric who answers the call to serve. “The Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa has left many individuals feeling vulnerable but Schneider Electric management and staff were willing to roll up their sleeves and assist in cleaning, filling and planting seedlings in our vegetable beds,” she said.

The vegetable garden supplies fresh and nutritional vegetables to Emthonjeni’s Feed a Child Today programme which serves 13 000 meals per day across 17 different kitchens. An innovative drive, the swop shop encourages residents from Zandspruit to collect recyclable glass, which is weighed and converted into money based on the weight in kilograms to purchase goods at the shop.

“It is always a privilege to partner with inspiring organisations such as the Emthonjeni Community Centre. We hope to contribute towards their hard work and dedication which is making a tangible and sustainable difference to the communities they serve,” said Zanélle Dalglish, director of sustainable development and academy, Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric.

Schneider Electric has been involved with the Emthonjeni Community Centres for the last seven years, which has seen the partnership reach various, sustainable milestones.