The Good Economy is an affiliation of 10 foundations and charitable organisations that together employ 1,175 people in a variety of roles.
South Africa (14 March 2023) – Brownie Points, a digital network that empowers, tracks and celebrates good deeds, was selected out of 300 applicants as one of 10 partners to pilot The Good Economy social employment fund, which is part of the employment initiative funded by the Presidential Employment Stimulus.
And that partnership has just been extended by two months.
The Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES), launched in 2020 to address the economic impacts of COVID-19, has just announced that it has extended its funding of the Good Economy Social Employment Fund to August 2023. The funding was initially granted until June.
“The two-month extension will provide beneficiaries with two more months of meaningful work and a consistent monthly wage,” says Pascale Henke, founder of Brownie Points, the lead implementing partner for the Good Economy programme.
The Good Economy is an affiliation of 10 foundations and charitable organisations that together employ 1,175 people in a variety of roles through the funding of the PES. The extension applies to all of the programme’s beneficiaries.
“This will give them more time to find additional employment opportunities or start their own businesses in their communities,” says Henke.
The Presidential Employment Stimulus was launched by President Ramaphosa in October 2020 as part of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, which set out a range of measures to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the Presidential Employment Stimulus is to utilise public funding to create jobs and support livelihoods while the labour market recovers. Since its launch, the programme has created opportunities for over 1 million direct beneficiaries across South Africa.
“The Good Economy aims to unlock shared value for all involved stakeholders through cross-sector collaboration and working towards the common goal of sustainable and meaningful employment,” says Henke.
The organisations represented in The Good Economy are:
- Brownie Points (lead implementor), which helps individuals and organisations do more good by amplifying awareness, maximising engagement and automating insights.
- The Litterboom Project, which seeks to fix the plastic pollution problem in our oceans.
- The Do More Foundation, an organisation that works towards “creating better tomorrows” for young children.
- Litter4Tokens, which tackles the challenges of litter, unemployment, and lack of food security along the Dolphin Coast.
- Clean C, which focuses on community upliftment, empowerment, skills development and leadership training.
- Campaigning 4 Cancer, a patient advocacy organisation that was established in 2008 to give a voice to South African cancer patients and those affected by cancer.
- Grootbos Green Futures Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to the conservation of the Cape Floral Kingdom and upliftment of its communities.
- Rays of Hope, which presents life skills to learners at four schools in Alexandra, Johannesburg.
- SA Harvest, which addresses the systemic causes of hunger, while simultaneously tackling the immediate food security crisis.
- Wild Bird Trust, explorers, monitors, awareness raisers and citizen engagers for the conservation of wild birds and their natural habitats.
Ongoing news on The Good Economy project can be tracked via Brownie Points’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, as well as on the official campaign page: Brownie Points | The Good Economy.
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