‘Repay the eNett Way’ aims to improve the education and career opportunities for underprivileged communities in high tourism growth countries.
SINGAPORE – eNett International, a leading provider of dedicated B2B payment solutions, has chosen South Africa as the next country for its annual CSR programme ‘Repay the eNett Way’. Partnering with Mellon Educate, an African development charity, eNett employees will be fundraising before some of them travel to Cape Town to take part in ‘Building Blitz’ to renovate a school in an underprivileged township.
‘Repay the eNett Way’ aims to improve the education and career opportunities for underprivileged communities in high tourism growth countries. South Africa has experienced exceptional growth in its tourist industry. By 2020, the country is expected to have welcomed an estimated 17.8 million travelers and of the G20 countries, its tourism industry is one of the fastest growing. Yet, an astonishing 58% of Grade 4 learners (aged nine to 10) in South Africa cannot read for meaning and 29% are completely illiterate. This leaves those in poor townships unable to take advantage of jobs in tourism due to lack of educations.
With poor infrastructure being one of the biggest barriers for education, eNett has partnered with Mellon Educate to support its latest ‘Building Blitz’. Since 2003, over 22,000 people have taken part in Building Blitzes, where volunteers from across the world come together for a week to a build school in South Africa’s townships. The eNett team will working hard to raise money before travelling to Cape Town in November to help renovate a school for the children in the Khayelitsha township.
Anthony Hynes, MD and CEO of eNett International, said “In Cambodia last year we saw firsthand the big difference programmes like ours can make to lives of people in underprivileged communities. Through bake sales, raffles and other fundraising activities we were able to help break the cycle of poverty for families, and benefit whole communities. Following suggestions from the eNett team globally, South Africa was selected as our initiative for 2017. We have great links there through our customers, and as growing tourist destination we want to give poorer communities the chance to benefit from the travel industry.”
Niall Mellon, Founder of Mellon Educate, said “Last year we had 275 volunteers join us to build 13 new classrooms as well as upgrade other important facilities at two primary schools in one of South Africa’s most deprived areas. This incredible achievement benefits not only the 2,700 pupils currently at the school but also many future generations of schoolchildren. It also boosts the local community who are so grateful for the work that we do. This November we’re really looking forward to welcoming the eNett team to Cape Town to help us continue our mission to deliver an improved and sustainable education to 100,000 impoverished African children.”
The South African initiative follows eNett’s work last year in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where the company partnered with a local children’s charity to educate two young adults who wanted to pursue a career in travel. Eight members of the team also travelled to the town to support other projects, including building a new water supply, refurbishing a local sewing factory and building a new playground.
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