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The Waitrose Foundation

 

The Waitrose Foundation in South Africa was established in 2005, with the aim of improving the lives of farm workers and their families in the communities that supply fruit to the Waitrose Supermarket  in the UK. This is in line with the South African Government’s aspirations for Black Economic Empowerment.
Now in its fourth year, the Waitrose Foundation has funded and overseen 188 projects  to date. It has benefitted as many as 22 500 farm workers, their spouses and children in the respective farming communities.
 
The Foundation is a Partnership between Waitrose and its supply partners, where we all return a percentage of our profits from the sale of fruit and wine to the farm workers who grow it.

 

  

Worker Committees

 

It is our belief that the farm workers own the right to make their own decisions about what projects are needed on their farm, and it is therefore crucial that the projects are chosen by the workers themselves. 

Since the start of the Foundation the workers committees have chosen a diverse group of projects including; crèches, adult literacy programmes, healthcare, and the set up of small businesses. We do not dictate in any way as to the projects that can be chosen, but they are truly based on the real needs of the community.

 

Waitrose Foundation Bursary Scheme

 

The Waitrose Foundation bursary scheme was set up to give farm workers and their families the opportunity to take up tertiary education. The Foundation is in its third year supporting the bursary programme and plans are in place to take on two students per academic year.

The two students who have been awarded bursaries for 2010 are Conré  Jantjies and Siyabonga Mathebula, leaving the current total at four. The students in the second year of rececing the bursary is Mzomhle Tshapile and Likhaya Batyi.

 

The first two students who have successfully completed their studies are Joline Isaacs and Marco Rooi.(Pictured below)

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CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Farm Projects

 

Piggery Project at Auldearn Estates, Grabouw (Western Cape)
HIV/AIDS Project at Chargo Trust, Kakamas - Northern Cape
Crèche at Westfalia Estates, Tzaneen - Limpopo