Munsoft, the home-grown leader in the development, deployment, and maintenance of municipal financial management software, adopted the L.U.C.C.A School, a special needs school based in Johannesburg, on Mandela Day.
Munsoft currently provides financial management software and related services to more than 70 municipalities around South Africa and is committed to supporting and helping the communities in which it operates, as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Munsoft CEO Marius Richter explains that this is the company’s main activity in commemoration of Mandela Day when South Africans are encouraged to spend 67 minutes of their time in service to others in need.
Each year in July, citizens are called on to spend 67 minutes working for the good of others, in appreciation of the 67 years that Nelson Mandela spent fighting for justice, equality, and human rights for all.
The L.U.C.C.A School accommodates 44 children, across six different classes, catering for a variety of impairments, developmental delays, physical disabilities, and any multiple disabilities from birth to 21 years.
“As part of our efforts to celebrate Mandela Day, we adopted the L.U.C.C.A School and not only donated a variety of toys, learning aids and materials, but our staff also spent the day at the school and engaged in activities with our little stars,” says Richter.
Uniform donation
In addition, Munsoft also donated R67 000 (Sixty-seven thousand rand) towards the purchase of school uniforms for learners from various schools in and around the uMhlathuze Local Municipality area in KwaZulu-Natal, as part of its Mandela Day commemoration.
Richter says the donation was made recently, following an appeal by the Executive Mayor of uMhlathuze, who identified the lack of quality school uniforms as a major challenge faced by the community.
“Munsoft always believes that it is extremely important for the private sector to be involved in the local communities in which they operate. However, it’s about more than just offering a service, it is about rising to the needs of the community, whether we are called upon to do so, or whether in response to a need that we’ve identified,” says Richter.
In this case, Munsoft went above and beyond the needs that were identified, having initially been asked to support about 300 learners in the uMhlathuze local municipal area.
This is the second time during Youth Month that Munsoft has responded to the needs of learners and plans to continue with similar initiatives in the future.
“This latest donation of school uniforms is one of several Munsoft-led investments in communities across the KwaZulu-Natal province and a response to their most urgent needs,” says Richter.
“Recently, the company also funded and distributed several food parcels to some of the most vulnerable communities in the province.”
Call for support
Xolani Ngwezi, Executive Mayor of the uMhlathuze Local Municipality, thanked Munsoft for its contribution and urged other private sector companies to also support communities in the municipality and the province, which are often some of the most vulnerable in society.
“On behalf of the uMhlathuze Local Municipality, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Munsoft for the donation of school uniforms, which will go a long way to assisting learners to feel confident when attending classes to get a quality education,” says Ngwezi.
“I also grew up in poverty and I know very well what it is like to not have a school uniform.
“You feel like an outsider in your own school community.
“The donation by Munsoft goes above and beyond our expectations and we are grateful for the role they play in helping build a brighter future for learners from our communities.”
Ngwezi has urged the private sector to step in and help where it can, as the youth of today are our leaders of tomorrow.
Richter explains that Munsoft is particularly keen to support educational initiatives, as the company’s core business is the development of intellectual capital and it thus places a high premium on encouraging and helping the youth to prioritise education to create a better future for themselves.
“South Africa has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world, with many of our youth ending up unskilled and undereducated,” says Richter.
“As Munsoft, we feel very strongly about keeping learners in schools and helping them to acquire the skills they need to escape the cycle of poverty and look forward to a better future.
“This is but one of many interventions that we are planning to make in the communities where we operate.
“As a responsible corporate citizen, we want to do a lot more for the communities here in KwaZulu-Natal, especially in the rural communities that are often severely underserviced.”
