Liberty is committed to supporting development in South Africa and Africa. They believe that their Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives should contribute to building the thriving economy that is vital to our collective destiny, and which will light the way to financial prosperity for generations of South Africans and Africans.

With Education at the core of Liberty’s CSI initiatives, Liberty on the Go wants to make a difference to communities around the country through education. They believe that literacy is the key to unlocking learning, imagination and potential. In this spirit, each Liberty branch and representative embarked on a countrywide drive to collect books and raise funds. The employees and/or business units embraced the Liberty on the Go Book Drive with their customary enthusiasm and commitment. The donation goes to a local charity of their choice to further education in the communities in which they, as Liberty, operate.

Liberty understands that South Africans need to be educated and equipped with appropriate skills to be able to take advantage of and enjoy the industrial and technological challenges and opportunities that are offered locally, as well as internationally.

On Wednesday, 31 March, the Upington branch, spearheaded by Branch Manager, Andre van der Linde, and his team, hosted an event and collected R4 000. The funds will be donated to the Association for People with Disabilities (APD) in Upington.

The APD Upington office was founded by Monica Gerhard in April of 1994 who was born without legs and arms, but with remarkable courage and a positive since of humour. Since 1998, the APD social work services have been rendered to children and persons with different disabilities. It is APD’s mission to strive for their integration into the non-disabled community and for them to be independent. The APD practises different projects namely, accessible transport, wheelchair basketball, protective workshop, the hiring of wheelchairs and selling of incontinent nappies, referral of children to special schools etc and a home base care project.

In this picture from left to right:
• Mike Williams (Liberty Regional Head, Cape Province)
• Inge Reichert (APD Charity, Upington)
• Shaheeda Abrahams (Liberty, Cape Province)
• Andre van der Linde (Liberty Branch Manager, Upington)

To date, Liberty’s CSI initiatives have had a positive and measurable impact on levels of education, empowering individuals to be self-sufficient and to play more constructive roles in society. The Liberty on the Go Book Drive’s donated books and funds will significantly build, enrich and empower the lives of those who read them.