NATION BUILDING
As a company we believe that we need to be significant, and in order to do that we need to have an impact on our nation. To us, this means building into the lives of people through mentorship and education.
Our first intern, Ms Suzelle Naik is now a full-time employee and a valuable asset to our company. Our second intern, Ms Nomfundo Thwala, excelled in her position and was promoted to a full time employee for a full year before taking up an opportunity at another company, one for which we believe she was fully prepared for after her time with us. Mr. Rowan Buhrmann and Mr Luke Tomlinson each interned with us for 6 months before becoming full time consultants. Rowan has since gone on to join The Biodiversity Company as a Wetland Specialist and Luke followed his dream to study overseas for a Masters degree. Mr Lungisane Thwala and Mr Oliver Chater each joined us on short term internship programs during which time they were exposed to all levels of environmental consulting before going on to pursue further studies and other opportunities elsewhere. We continue to take on interns as time and space allow and hope to assist in building the next generation of consultants.
Our first Skills and Social Development Program Candidate, Mr Simphiwe Khumalo started with us in November 2017 as a full-time member of staff. In his time with us he decided to pursue a part time tertiary degree in support of becoming an environmental consultant which we supported by funding his undergraduate degree. We are proud and happy to announce that Simphi achieved his Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management and is now a full time environmental consultant with EnviroPro. We are also currently funding and assisting a young Primary School learner to attend school in the area of whom we are very proud.
Over the years we have supported CityHill Church Nation Changers with donations towards a rainwater harvesting system for water recycling at the Embo Church site. As a team we also assisted in establishing a community-based vegetable garden at the site. EnviroPro has also sponsored teenagers to attend the Embo youth camp and a number of younger children to attend the kids’ camp over the years and continue to support various community initiatives through these existing established channels.
Over the years we have donated R100 000.00 worth of services to Liv Village to assist with their ongoing development and R31 000.00 to AgriBioTech Incubator at the AgriSPACE in Kokstad. These funds have been put towards furnishing new laboratory space with lab benches, cabinets, a freezer and a fridge. This initiative provides training to agricultural graduates and prepares them for careers as agricultural entrepreneurs. We have also assisted iKhethelo Children’s village within funding and professional support to re-establish a borehole needed to provide water for the children and staff and purchased a water pump for the Lilly of the Valley children’s home.
We also provided funding to the amount of R208 000.00 for learnership grants and stipends for three Plant Production learners in Bizana.
These learners will be involved in an NQF 2 Plant Production qualification for the purpose of becoming “contract growers” for agricultural entrepreneurs (Agripreneurs) within the AgriBioTech Incubator at the AgriSPACE campus of Scientific Roets. All agricultural graduates who form part of this programme were unemployed prior to starting the programme. These Agripreneurs are guided and mentored to develop agricultural-oriented value-adding businesses.
The three learners sponsored by EnviroPro will become contract growers in a value-adding product chain with a high likelihood that they will continue providing their biological resources to the Agripreneurs going forward – thus creating sustainable livelihoods for these individuals.