The Hope Factory: an enterprise development gem
Elizabeth Zambonini
Project Director of Enterprise Development and Socio-Economic Development
Johannesburg, Monday, 9 June 2008 - The Hope Factory is the brainchild of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), which, as the umbrella body for the nation's chartered accountancy profession, lends its support via project management, financial oversight and the purchase of the enterprise's products.
Critical to organisations with an eye on meeting Charter requirements, The Hope Factory is a 100% BEE supplier. Perhaps more critically, all products purchased create employment, empower people and uplift communities.
The Hope Factory aims to dramatically impact and improve the lives of previously disadvantaged unemployed South African women by providing them with opportunities to be trained and empowered, in the process helping them to become financially productive.
The Hope Factory designs a wide range of beautiful, handmade corporate gifts and conference materials tailored to suit the corporate market.
From the humble beginnings - products were initially crafted in a church garage - The Hope Factory now operates from a 700m2 factory.
Elizabeth Zambonini, SAICA's Project Director of Enterprise Development and Socio-Economic Development says that with a training approach designed to be holistic - great emphasis is laid on developing each person entering the programme - The Hope Factory started by training 10 people, a number that has since grown to a phenomenal 500 disadvantaged individuals.
"Through the skills and training gained at The Hope Factory, 82% of the 500 women have been empowered and have gained confidence and financial independence. Many have started their own businesses and are employing people, thus creating employment opportunities," says Zambonini.
She says that predictably, employment numbers have grown hand in hand with turnover growth.
The Job Creation and Training Programme provides mentorship, evaluations, advice and support even after students have graduated. Graduates can choose to start their own business, seek formal sector employment, study further or join The Hope Factory job creation project.
Skills transferred to the students include:- Technical skills: sewing, pattern making, beadwork and other crafts,
- Business skills: entrepreneurship and small business skills, and
- ife skills: time management, CV writing and HIV/AIDS awareness.
Impressively, The Hope Factory's 88% placement ratio has far exceeded the Department of Labour's 70% target.
Not only did The Hope Factory recently scoop the Gordon Institute of Business Science's (GIBS) 2007 Social Entrepreneur Award, the Department of Labour has rated it as one of South Africa's top seven training service providers.
The project has also won several other awards, among them The Argus Angel of the City Award and The Sowetan / Old Mutual / SABC2 Community Builder of the Year Award: Emerging business.
O'MAGE LTD is a client of the Hope Factory. Kate Otto, production manager at O'MAGE said, "The Hope Factory created Morabaraba boards and bags as a gift for the delegates at the Deloitte Global New Partner Seminar that O'MAGE organised in Cape Town. The making of these Morabaraba boards was a perfect opportunity to use the talented women of The Hope Factory. They produced a large quantity of the boards and bags at a high quality and so it was a good experience using this SAICA initiative."
Funding is primarily provided through SAICA, with other sponsors including the Department of Labour, Nedbank and Dell Computers.
MEDIA CONTACTS:| Kgaogelo Swartland Communication Coordinator: Transformation and Growth The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Tel: 011 621 6738 Cell: 083 9952 667 Email: kgaogelos@saica.co.za |
John Spira or Charlene Hawkes or Anusha Mudhai Meropa Communications Tel: 011 772 1012 / 1130 Email: johns@meropa.co.za or charlene@meropa.co.za or anusham@meropa.co.za |
