Ido Lekota

Ido Lekota

Scores of children and old people who are cared for by two welfare organisations in Mamelodi and Olievenhoutbosch, north of Johannesburg, have been given a reason to smile.

This is after more than R80000 was raised on their behalf during a charity golf day organised by Woolworths Gauteng regional executive Geoff Mabote at the Woodhill Golf Course in Pretoria East recently.

The money was raised from golf memorabilia being sold by auction to the many company executives who attended the event.

The money was shared equally between the two organisations.

Mabote, who grew up in Mamelodi, says the initiative was driven by his passion for corporate social investment and a desire to assist people who are less fortunate.

He says he regularly buys groceries for some of the poor families in his neighbourhood, but he saw the golf charity event as broadening his reach.

Mabote says: "This is an effort to involve more people who are fortunate, like I am, to make a contribution to the development of the less fortunate."

The Mamelodi SOS Children Village cares for orphaned children aged between six months and 22 years.

Badirammogo Old-Age Home caters for the aged and terminally ill patients.

The organisation for the aged runs several projects, including skills development and a home-based care project for the terminally ill.

Mamelodi SOS Children's Village public relations officer Gideon Ngubane says the money the organisation received will go to its education trust, which provides support for the promotion of maths and science in schools around Mamelodi.

"It is certainly going to make a tremendous contribution to the development of maths and science in the community," Ngubane says.

Badirammogo's Patrick Noge says the donation will go a long way to strengthening the projects his organisation is involved in.