Jet Community Awards winners announced

From left to right: Kennedy Dithlong (founder of Tlharabololo Investments), Pius Letlala (founder of Phuthanang Batlokoa Handicrafts, Jane Kgoatla (founder of Tsosanang Drop In Centre), Johannes Msomi (founder of Maqhawe Theatre Group); Nomvula Maseko (founder of SSMBB), Matshidiso Legote (from the Batjha Etsoseng Cooperative) and Klaas Mintoor (founder of Vukuzenzele People of Pearston).

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The seven 2010 winners were selected from 35 exceptional regional finalists from across southern Africa. A 26-day Jet Community Awards Convoy visited each of the SA-based regional winners as part of a national roadshow to pay tribute to this year's community heroes. The convoy, together with celebrity host Fezile Mpela, Siphiwe Mbonambi and local community leaders from each of the competitions nine regions, travelled over 7000km from Alexandra on 5 October to Siyabuswa in Mpumalanga on 30 October to celebrate individually with each of the 28 regional winners and hand over R15 000 in prize money to each winner.

Now in its eighth year, the Jet Community Awards invites entries annually from citizens of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland, specific to those individuals or organisations that have made a compelling contribution to the wellbeing of their communities.

The categories

The awards recognise community projects and grass-roots organisations in four categories:

• Education, honouring organisations and individuals focusing on school-level programmes of excellence in literacy, maths, science and technology;
• We Care, organisations/individuals who focus on (a) people with disabilities, specifically in terms of care, support and empowerment, as well as initiatives with people with disabilities and (b) abused women and orphaned and vulnerable children specifically affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic;
• Vukuzenzele, which recognises entrepreneurs and development centres that help create jobs and stimulate economic development. There are three awards within this category - namely awarding black (African, Coloured, Asian) women in business; youths in business (18 to 35) and small businesses in rural areas;

• Environmental Waste Management, which recognises organisations/individuals that focus on reducing or eliminating waste production as far as possible so that there is less impact on the environment.

The 2010 Awards distributed more than R1 million in prize money, honouring 35 regional winners, and seven national winners in the process. The seven final winners each received R75 000 in cash including R1000 in Jet shopping vouchers.

Powerful vehicle for community Upliftment

The Jet Club manager, Antashia Sassman, believes that over the past seven years the awards platform has acted as a powerful vehicle for community upliftment. She said: "The Jet Community Awards were created to identify and support community projects from grass roots up. As a family brand committed to making a difference in the lives of individuals, families and society at large, Jet is privileged to be able to provide vital funding where it is most needed, at a time when so many non-profit organisations are facing severe budget and sponsorship cuts. We commend and congratulate our 2010 regional winners for their dedication and commitment to transforming lives and landscapes in their communities, and proving just how much can be achieved with little or no support."

The national winners

Chosen from thousands of worthy entries and 35 inspirational finalists, the national winners of the 2010 Jet Community Awards include the:

• Maqhawe Theatre Group from Gutswa in the Mpumalanga Province (Education Category)
  
• Tsosanang Drop In Centre from Mookgo Village in the Limpopo Province (We Care HIV/AIDS, Abused Women and OVC Category)
  
• Sedi Swiswing Mpudulle Blind Bereau from Siyabuswa in the Mpumalanga Province (We Care Disabilities Category)
  
• Vukuzenzele People of Pearston from Pearston in the Eastern Cape Province (Vukuzenzele Black Women in Business Category)
  
• Batjha Etsoseng Co-Operative from De Deur in the Gauteng Province (Vukuzenzele Youth in Small Businesses Category)
  
• Puthanang Batlokoa Handicrafts Co-Operative Society in Teyateyaneng, Lesotho (Vukuzenzele Small Business in Rural Areas Category)
  
• Tlharabololo Investments from Ramotswa in Botswana (Environmental Waste Management Category)

Sassman continues, "Through these awards, Jet is privileged to be able to contribute to the outstanding social, entrepreneurial and environmental initiatives that have been spearheaded by extraordinary individuals at a grass-roots level across the competition's five participating regions. We trust that the prize money and exposure that the Jet Community Awards delivers can go some way to attracting additional resources to assist these champions of community empowerment, who remain an example of altruistic care for vulnerable communities and individuals across southern Africa."

For more information go to www.jetstores.co.za/Jet/Jet+Cares/