(Posted by Jesse Hertstein, Manager, Alticor Corporate Citizenship)

Through a project supported by South African IBOs, we met a 20 year-old university student named Elaine Johnson who was raised in the SOS Children's Village outside Cape Town. She arrived when she was seven and her biological mother could no longer take care of her. The Village was a refuge for Elaine, where she lived in a home with seven other boys and girls who became her new brothers and sisters and a “house mother” who raised Elaine as her own. The Village cares for 141 children, and includes a dental clinic, playgrounds, kindergarten classrooms and meeting areas. It is easy to see the happiness and hope in the children’s lives, despite coming from very desperate situations.

We spent time with Imraan and Shahana Choonara, who head up efforts among other South African IBOs to provide Glister toothpaste, toothbrushes, eSpring filters and other support to the Village. Perhaps more important, they build personal relationships with the mothers and the children, who call them “Uncle Imraan” and “Aunt Choonara.” IBOs Pamela Ressel, Rooman Arif and Julio Bloemetje are also involved in the program, and are pictured below.

We also spent time with Principal Jamiel Alexander of the Chapel Street School in Cape Town. Amway sponsors a meal program for children at the school. It started after an Amway executive read an article about the family of one of the students living in a public bathroom and many other students are extremely undernourished.
Since the program started in 1999, the school has tracked increased concentration levels, increased academic performance, increased athletic performance, reduced dropouts, and kids were no longer falling asleep, getting sick or fainting during school. The school cook makes magnificent meals (we shared an excellent chicken curry for lunch) for 570 learners. For many it is the only meals they will get all day. The school held an assembly for us where the students sang and showed us around.

We brought a photographer and a couple of camera guys with us, so you will soon see the images and a short video posted on Amway's One by One website. We will also post the full story of the programs and the impact they are having on the local communities in South Africa.

Each time we go out to capture these, I am amazed at the creativity and the capacity for caring by our IBOs and our local Amway employees. It’s not just an obligation – our people are truly passionate about helping children.