Engen Petroleum, a leading producer and marketer of fuels, lubricants and oil-based products, lauds Louisa Malan, the owner of Engen La Rochelle Convenience Centre in Cape Town for investing in and giving back to the children of the Klipheuwel community.
Louisa really believes in paying it forward. So much so that her service station has donated R500 000 worth of food to the Durbanville Children's Home, who collect daily food hampers. Other food donations are made to Huis Redelinghuys, an old age home in the area, as well as to Caring Angels.
Over the recent Festive Season Louisa and a group of volunteers helped to put together around 400 drawstring care-bags containing toys, treats, toiletries and over-sized blankets, which were handed out to kids in the Klipheuwel area. “We also got the community involved and asked them to donate clothing and t-shirts, which we gave to the kids,” says Louisa.
Louisa registered a new NGO named Amatum earlier this year, which is the Latin word for beloved. Initially the focus of the NGO will centre on children in the Klipheuwel community with future plans to extend the programme to other areas.
“I was so inspired by the gratitude and sense of hope instilled in these kids that I decided to start a formal NGO so that I could take things a step further. I didn’t want to just donate. I wanted to take action and make a real difference by investing in the future journey of these young children’s lives.”
Louisa says that the objective of the NGO is to educate and help kids dream big about their future. To do this, Saturday skills sessions are held where kids from the area come and spend a day learning about different job possibilities.
“We want to pass on entrepreneurial skills and expose these kids to the many opportunities that are possible. Recently we held a market day and we shared sales and marketing skills. In the coming months the fire brigade will come and chat to the kids about fire safety and what it takes to work in that field.”
This all provides palpable excitement amongst the children. Seeing the excitement in their eyes makes all the difference for Louisa. “Many of these kids are forced to cope with very difficult circumstances every day. They look forward to Saturdays spent in a supported and nurtured environment with caring adults who want to build them up and show them that the future can be bright and optimistic,” she says.
Joe Mahlo, General Manager: Engen Sales and Marketing says: “We are very encouraged by dealers like Louisa who give of their time volunteering in the community. As a company committed to a policy of community involvement and social upliftment, we thank Louisa and her group of volunteers for being ambassadors of our brand and for helping to enrich and inspire our future generations.”
