Making a Difference with the MAD Foundation

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For Awonke Sidwell Nontshinga, his dream of studying chemical engineering and providing his family with a secure future is well on its way to being realised thanks to the mentorship and financial support of the Cape Town based Make A Difference Foundation (MAD).

Officially known as The MAD Bunch, this organisation has helped stand Awonke and 39 other less fortunate children in good stead for realising long-standing dreams that had once seemed unobtainable.

With the dynamic education and mentorship programme the organisation runs, MAD is able to provide tailored and holistic support to talented young individuals from all walks of life. “We believe education is key in breaking the cycle of poverty,” says Karien Winter, CEO of MAD. “There are so many academically talented children out there that don’t have the opportunity to nurture their abilities. At MAD, we aim to provide the support system and financial aid necessary for these kids to reach their full potential.”

In order to facilitate their growth, MAD provides educational funding for their beneficiaries from grade four to tertiary level while encouraging involvement in extracurricular activities such as music and sport. “Our individual based programmes are holistic in their approach,” explains Winter. “Its not only about academics, each child has a personal relationship with at least one member of the senior MAD team and we encourage involvement in sport and any other activities that will build leadership and aid in the development of decision-making skills.”

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To take a child through the education system is a costly exercise however, and MAD, as a self-financing charity, relies on corporate sponsorships and fundraising events in order to carry out the work it currently does. Besides golf, Francois Pienaar, the founder of MAD, and several members of the foundation get out their bicycles every year to ride the internationally renowned Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Race in order to raise funds through sponsorships. Barloworld, the international diversified industrial company, has in previous years partnered with the MAD Bunch through its professional cycling Team Barloworld.

“Barloworld has supported us in so many ways over the years,” says Winter, “including contributions amounting to R375,000 for our individual based programmes. It’s only with regular funding from the corporate community that MAD will be able to extend its programme to reach more underprivileged children.”

Plans are already underway to expand the organisation’s services into Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal so that children within these provinces can also have access to MAD’s education and mentorship programme. Besides the individual programmes that the foundation offers, MAD also supports over 400 children in and around South Africa through their broad-based programmes, which include projects such as Children’s Eco Awareness Training and the Smart Brain literacy project.

It is MAD’s long-term vision to ultimately create an alumni of MAD beneficiaries who will be a powerful force for positive change in our emerging democracy. With the national expansion and growth of the organisation and many of the beneficiaries currently completing matric this year, MAD’s dream may soon become a reality.

Media release put out by MAD: For more information or if you would like to fund MAD, please contact Karien Winter on (021) 439 9670 or email karienwinter@telkomsa.net. Website http://www.themadbunch.com

Jennifer Smith
Head: CSI
Barloworld Limited
Tel +27 11 445 1268
Fax +27 11 445 1581
Cell 082 808 5911

This page was updated on 3 August, 2007

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