Grant Thornton celebrates annual Global CSR Day
Gamodubu – For many years, Grant Thornton Botswana (a member firm of Grant Thornnton International Limited ‐ GTIL) has been committed to making a difference in people’s lives and giving back to the local community through various Corporate Social Responsibility activities. Last year GTIL started an initiative called GT (GROWING TOGETHER) IN THE
COMMUNITY which is a core pillar of their global strategy and the basis of their annual “Global CSR Day”. On this day, Grant Thornton member firms engage in community service, collectively celebrate giving back to the communities in the countries in which they operate, and make contributions to worthy organisations all over the world. This year Grant
Thornton Botswana selected Gamodubu Child Care Trust as their CSR project recipient. The Trust is a non‐profit organisation which was started by Shirley Madikwe in 2003 and currently houses over 235 children who come from different disadvantaged backgrounds.
As a home grown firm whose existence is deep rooted in the people and community of Botswana, Grant Thornton strives to grow the country and its vision of a compassionate and caring nation. “Grant Thornton believes in giving back and being part of the community. We have been supporting various deserving organisations in Botswana over the last few decades, through our contributions and time dedicated to community service. Gamodubu Child Care Trust situated in the Gamodubu village truly deserves attention and hence this year we decided to make a difference to the lives of the children who live at this centre”, said Pushpa Ramesh, Grant Thornton Botswana’s Head of People and Culture and CSR Champion.
On Global CSR Day, Grant Thornton Botswana closed their office for the day and over 120 staff members spent quality time with the children of the Gamodubu Child Care Trust ‐ got to know them, engaged them with various activities, and enjoyed a scrumptious lunch with them. They also took time to understand the day‐to day challenges the volunteers face, and how they manage to overcome them. A contribution to the total value of P53 000 was made by Grant Thornton and it’s staff, which included providing wiring and electricity to the ablutions and the yard, a geyser, a fridge, food and toiletries supply for the centre.
Ramesh further mentioned, “The Trust is situated far from the city of Gaborone, and often help does not reach remote areas like Gamodubu. That is the reason why we decided to choose this centre. I am happy to say that the day brought a lot of joy to our hearts as we saw the smiles on the little ones’ faces. This in retrospect echoes Grant Thornton’s values, and that giving back to the community is at the core of our corporate culture. We’re proud to say that today we contributed to the wellbeing of the children of Gamodubu”.
Vice Chairperson of the Board of Gamodubu Child Care Trust, Shathani Karen Ngada said, “Grant Thornton comes as an answer to our prayers. It is a good stepping stone for us to reach our goals. I appeal to every Motswana to give a helping hand in every child’s life to make their lives better”. The staff of Grant Thornton Botswana are of the same sentiment, and urge local companies to commit to making a positive difference in local communities, for the long‐term betterment of the country.
