An initiative kicked off within the SA Taxi industry to go above and beyond to make a difference.
The initiative was dubbed “RU MAD” which stands for “are you making a difference” & started out as an Employee Engagement project – with the primary objectives being to motivate, reward and engage staff, while providing management with the tools to build and maintain SA Taxi’s corporate culture.
“The Campaign has evolved into something we believe to be more than just another Employee Engagement strategy. It has evolved into an innovative mechanism through which everyone is invited to actively participate in the sustainable transformation of South Africa’s socio-economy.”
Employees invested their own time and money to raise funds and manage projects. Some really clever, impactful projects were completed – these not only made a difference to the lives of those who benefited, but also to the staff involved. It makes a difference to you when you make a difference to someone else!
Some of the projects included the IT team setting up an internet café at a high school in Alex; the HR team running a career guidance workshop at a community centre in Diepsloot; Finance donating a vehicle to Kitty and Puppy Haven; our workshop renovating an entire old age home in the Southern Suburbs – but to name a few.
Mphosho Shabangu, a mechanic in the workshop of SA Taxi, has been living with a severe hearing disability since he was just 18 months old. While he was given hearing aids during his schooling career, he had to return them when he finished school, due to a lack of finances.
Since then, Mphosho’s world has been a silent one. His hearing disability affects his ability to communicate, complete tasks and is even a risk to his safety. Sadly, people have even abused him and stolen from him, because he is unable to assert himself. His brother, Bheki has taken the selfless decision to live with him and keep a watchful eye over his vulnerable brother. In his opinion, making even a slightest improvement to his hearing would change Mphosho’s life dramatically – essentially, giving him his freedom.
“The only obstacle to Mphosho leading a better life was that he lacked the support and financial resources to uplift himself. So the Marketing team committed to assisting Mphosho in making his way back into society, and hearing properly again for the first time since leaving school.”
Thanks to the initiative, Mphosho has received his new hearing aids and has become a new man, almost overnight. To know that they won’t be taken away from him again, is the best reward.
The journey is not yet over though as they need to cover the costs of medical visits, his hearing aids and speech classes. It’s an ongoing process, but when you see the change in Mphosho, you understand it’s all been worth it.
If you would like to help with some of the costs of Mphosho’s journey to hearing, please contact GoodThingsGuy for details!
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