A video of Thandi Johnson walking through her looted shop went viral because it was so heartbreaking; OneSpark stepped in to help her Rise Up.
South Africa (30 July 2021) – Thandi Johnson spent the last 12 years building up her business. She started in 2009 and grew it into a massive success; within 24-hours, looters had removed and destroyed every single thing she had worked towards.
Thandi owned a successful events company, but when she started in 2009, she got by, by selling decorations for birthday parties in Soweto. Her hard work and dedication led her to be an inspiration in her community, and she even went on to employ people from within her community.
Through the help of OneSpark, Thandi received a donation of R25,000 to help her get back on her feet and rebuild everything she has lost.
“We’re in this together, and South Africa’s Ubuntu spirit shines bright. Our hearts were broken when we heard her story. Entrepreneurs like her are the lifeblood of our economy. It’s time we get her back on her feet and let her shine. That’s why we’ve pledged R25,000 to help her rise,” says Greg Smith.
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OneSpark is a new age, a globally backed start-up that is completely re-inventing and disrupting the global insurance industry. OneSpark’s founders, Greg Smith and Josh Kaplan, have always been purpose-driven, passionate South African entrepreneurs. They helped create one of Africa’s largest Social Impact Bonds and finally started OneSpark, a company that is doing everything it can to help create a better future for us all.
OneSpark initially contributed R100 000 to help those affected by the recent unrest. Together with other committed and proudly South African companies, the contribution has been increased to over R200 000. This is being used to help families and businesses that were severely affected rise out of this unrest and come out stronger.
OneSpark has shared a call-to-action asking that if you know of any small businesses that have been destroyed or damaged that need a helping hand, to please reach out to OneSpark at info@onespark.co.za so they can help or connect you with people who can. There are still so many livelihoods that they can change.
Not only have they been helping people like Thandi ‘Rise Up’ again, OneSpark partnered with Trope Farming and Fremax Farms to send trucks down to KwaZulu-Natal, this helped to feed over 30,000 people in need.
Food and much-needed essentials have also been delivered to individuals and organisations. Some of the beneficiaries include the Soweto Association of People with disabilities, the SPCA in Durban, homeless shelters and more.
“The name OneSpark stems from the deep belief that all it takes is one person, with one spark of an idea, to change the world forever. All you have to do is look at what Madiba did for us all as proof that any person has the power to change the world. That’s why we started OneSpark, to do good, to help those in need, and to help South Africa rise to the country we know it can be. Although we are still a young startup, we wanted to do our part to help, and we will continue to contribute whatever we can to help those in need. Sometimes it’s the smallest acts that make the biggest difference in people’s lives,” says Josh Kaplan.