Beiersdorf Announces Further Funding Of SA Community Programme, Thanda
Beiersdorf Announces Further Funding Of SA Community Programme, Thanda. Beiersdorf announces further funding and strengthens its seven-year partnership with SA community programme, Thanda.
Following the success of its 7-year long-standing partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal based non-profit, Thanda, Beiersdorf has further committed a funding donation to address the critical long-term aftershocks of the Covid-19 pandemic. With this commitment, Beiersdorf lives up to its sustainability agenda Care Beyond Skin, which seeks to enhance inclusivity within society and achieve sustainable advancements in environmental protection.
Thanda was founded in 2008 by Angela Larkan and Tyler Howard with the intention of providing support and education for young children in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Since then, Thanda is making a difference in over 2,000 direct beneficiaries’ lives daily and reaching over 45,000 people overall, offering a holistic approach to community development.
Godwin Harrison, managing director for Beiersdorf Southern Africa, says the relationship between the company and Thanda is “deeply meaningful” as this partnership is greatly vested in the health, wellness, and future success of the children in the Mtwalume area where Thanda is based.
The Care Beyond Skin funding relief comes on the back of a pledge in 2020 by Beiersdorf to contribute to the world’s collective fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The South African portion of the 50-million Euro commitment was channelled through the non-profit Thanda with a view to supporting the critical needs of the underdeveloped rural Mtwalume community.
The Covid-19 funding was released in three phases. Phase 1 in 2020 focused on immediate relief to take care of the children, vulnerable and elderly in the community, ensuring access to food and water, and continued education. Phase 2 included implementation and roll-out of long-term sustainable food solutions via youth-led organic farming programmes. This funding helped ensure Thanda, and its beneficiaries were less disrupted by the onset of the pandemic and subsequent economic lockdown.
“This generous funding from Beiersdorf will enable Thanda to implement an intense project to empower beneficiaries across 32 targeted neighbourhoods and seven municipal wards, effectively impacting 1,000 households, to become resilient in the long-term,“ enthuses Angela Larkan, Thanda founder and executive director.
Investment has also been channelled to the Empowering Girls programme, launched in 2022, which improves the lives of 400 girls from Thanda. This curriculum is designed to build strong foundational skills such as confidence and communication, to help girls navigate life with better judgement and decision-making. The girls gain a greater sense of community responsibility and leadership roles.
