Coporate responsibility

Steinhoff has been the key financial partner of the Steinhoff Extended Family programme since its official inception in March 2003, when the company partnered with Abraham Kriel Bambanani (previously Abraham Kriel Childcare) to provide essential services to children affected by HIV/Aids who are not housed in a formal institution like an orphanage. To reach more children and to have a greater impact, Steinhoff and Abraham Kriel introduced the Steinhoff Extended Family home-based care programme. It started with an initial group of 15 beneficiaries and gradually expanded to include approximately 400 beneficiaries to date. Steinhoff’s financial contribution is the primary funds used for the programme. During the 2018 financial year, Steinhoff’s contribution amounted to R5.9 million.

The aim of Steinhoff's involvement in this initiative is to provide children affected by HIV/Aids with food, clothes, social services and, where necessary, ARV treatment.

Beneficiaries are included in the programme on a ‘needs only’ basis, and the recipients are mostly individuals from child-headed families where the parents have passed away due to HIV/Aids. In some instances, they live with another family member or grandparent as part of an already extended family where resources are severely under pressure.

Many of the caregivers who work in the programme to assist with the care of the beneficiaries, especially the smaller children, are 'graduates' from the programme themselves.

The services rendered to these beneficiaries through the partnership include the following:

• Provision of food. Daily meals consist of meat, a starch and two vegetables, two fruits and bread. This is provided to each beneficiary 365 days a year.
• Enrolment of the children into school, including properly equipping each child to attend their classes.
• Attention to health issues, bereavement counselling, facilitation with proper registrations with government departments and applications for grants to further support the family.
• Regular visits to their homes by the caregivers.
• Where relevant, younger children are enrolled in school after-care programmes, where they eat, get help with homework and participate in life skill classes.

The Steinhoff commitment provided Abraham Kriel with a level of financial sustainability that allowed for long-term planning to ensure that a real impact could be made. Unlike a one-off charity donation, the Steinhoff Extended Family programme is an example of a long-term investment where time and trust are key to its success.

This partnership and its extended investment give the programme the time it requires to accomplish what is necessary, especially when raising children.

• It takes time for children to recover from malnutrition to a state of health.
• It takes time to recover from the loss of a parent and regain hope.
• It takes time for children to grow up and become productive members of society.
• It takes time to develop self-confidence and the life skills of an adult.