Corporate Social Investment: Ikageng

Care is one of the core tenets of the Fine Philosophy.

Care is one of the core tenets of the Fine philosophy. At Fine Healthcare, the CSI work we do with Ikageng Itireleng has been commended by government and industry alike. But more importantly, it has shown that beneficial intervention can make a real difference.

In 2002, Fine Healthcare CEO, Mandi Fine, met Carol Dyantyi, the founder of Ikageng Itireleng Aids Ministry. Carol had started the organisation in 2000 and was trying to raise funds to holistically care for the 100 children she had come into contact with who had lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. Given that HIV/AIDS is the biggest issue facing Healthcare in South Africa, Fine Healthcare committed to assist Ikageng Itireleng with communications, administration, registration, donor management and fundraising as well as financial reporting and daily bookkeeping.

Fine Healthcare receives the Mail & Guardian Investing in the Future Award

Fine Healthcare won the ‘Best Corporate Employee Community Involvement Programme’ award at the Mail & Guardian Investing in the Future Awards 2006. These awards are a Mail & Guardian initiative aimed at honouring companies and organisations that contribute to the well-being of society by investing in people. Other contenders for this award included heavyweight corporates like Discovery Health, Sasol, Toyota and Anglo Platinum.

Social entrepreneur (in this case Ikageng founder, Carol Dyanti) nominated her corporate partner - Fine Healthcare - for this award. We have invested heavily Ikageng’s vision, and are proud of the meaningful gains that can be made to society when appropriate CSI principles are applied.

Fine Healthcare was originally responsible for creating a structure for Ikageng in 2002 that allowed the NGO to then attract additional funders, and also aided Ikageng in creating a transparent financial reporting system that can be audited. We are involved with Ikageng at all levels. Some Fine Healthcare employees voluntarily dedicated more than 50% of their time to this project and due to their unwavering contribution Ikageng is empowered and can operate independently.

“It is truly humbling to see how Fine Healthcare has taken Ikageng on board and raised it to such heights in such a short period of time. From an organisation that hardly had any technology at its disposal, we are now equipped with the knowledge and skill that has allowed us international reach. This has resulted in more international donors for our children and the ministry has grown from 102 children to more than 1500. In fact, our access to the global market has led us to Oprah Winfrey, Sir Richard Branson and Alicia Keys’ Keep a Child Alive project. So many doors have opened to us, thanks to Fine Healthcare.”
Carol Dyantyi, Founder and CEO, Ikageng Itireleng AIDS Ministry