Article-9-1

Uber’s Uber Cool Initiative

Uber has partnered with Trusted Interns to give graduates a free, reliable travel option.

South African organisation Trusted Interns is providing the youth with access to the job market by giving first-time job-seekers the opportunity to apply for free Uber vouchers so they can get to interviews.

Trusted Interns’s mission is “to make more career opportunities more accessible to more first-time job seekers more often”. Facing the reality that many young South Africans just don’t have the transport money needed to get to and from interviews, they have partnered with Uber to help.

“We were arranging interviews with employers but our graduates were not showing up. We knew our community was committed and so something had to be wrong. We decided to pick up the phone and find out what.”

According to Raizon, the problem extends beyond job creation. Unemployed youth in South Africa are often disqualified from entering the workforce because they don’t have the tools needed to access job opportunities.

To begin combating this problem the Cape Town based start-up, which connects first-time job-seekers to employers, partnered with Uber. Uber has donated R10 000 in free rides to get youth to and from interviews, and will match a further R10 000 of public donations.

“The youth have a vital role to play in our society and it is important to make them aware there are infinite possibilities available to them,” Uber Sub-Saharan Africa GM Alon Lits explains. “However, this is only possible if businesses come together to provide them with the necessary tools to reach their potential.

“We believe reducing this particular barrier to job opportunities is a small but simple step in the right direction. “This partnership will not only have a positive impact on the youth, but also on those employers looking for talent, who now have access to undiscovered candidates who previously may not have even got into the interview process.
“We strongly believe in this initiative and we’re honoured to partner with Trusted Interns to make a change in the lives of our youth,” Lits says.

Original Article

ForGood-thumbnail-1024x632

How to Make a Difference from the Comfort of your Home

For Good thumbnail

Online social platform forgood.co.za, which connects people to causes around the country, is encouraging South Africans to spend their lockdown making a difference through virtual volunteering. From designing a home workout routine for kids, to helping a substance abuse prevention programme with financial management, virtual volunteering is a way for South Africans to create impact, without leaving the safety their homes.

“We’re living through a particularly trying time in history, but it’s also a time where we are likely to see the best side of humanity. We need to stay behind doors to beat this, but we also want to help those in need. Virtual volunteering offers an easy way to create social impact, while remaining indoors and safe – you don’t even have to get out of your pyjamas,” says Andy Hadfield, CEO of forgood.co.za.

Virtual volunteering involves volunteering from where you are, taking on important digital tasks like social media support, marketing, writing, training, design, data capturing, providing legal advice and more. The forgood platform acts as a central point, connecting the skills and talents of individuals and businesses with non-profit, social impact organisations in need of those specific skills. The platform also offers a safe way to donate money to verified non-profits – a good option for those who do not have time to give.

“Sometimes the best way to help, is to just give money,” says Hadfield. “With Covid-19 wreaking havoc all over the world, committed donor funds are drying up for our local charities and non-profit organisations. That’s where you come in – even a small cash donation can go a long way. Small donations add up, and most non-profits, no matter their size, need all the help they can get.”

Forgood have launched a dedicated #Coronavirus campaign, which aims to highlight all the relevant needs that are posted daily by the 400 plus non-profit organisations signed up on the platform.

“We know that South Africans are generous, that they want to help others. The struggle comes with figuring out how to do that – people aren’t sure how to give back in a way that is actually helpful, especially when they can’t even leave their home. The key is finding a place where your particular skills are needed,” says Hadfield. “Forgood facilitates this connection in a way that creates real value for both parties.”

How to Make a Difference from the Comfort of your Home via their online platform:

Volunteer your time or skills virtually – all you need is the internet. If you can’t find something you’re passionate about, create a personalised offer and forgood will match it out to causes in need of your skills.

Donate money – as a result of the lockdown, charities and non-profits who usually rely on donations will struggle to secure essentials, including food and hygiene products. Donating money helps these causes stay afloat, allowing them to purchase these items themselves. Donations from R50 are accepted.

Go online shopping for a Cause – getting critical resources and goods delivered to them and the communities they support.

If you’d prefer to support a particular theme, you can help feed children, help NPOs stay afloat during the lockdown or help get sanitation products to communities in need.

Watch forgood’s CEO on eNCA talking about virtual volunteering:

Visit www.forgood.co.za/campaigns/volunteering-in-the-time-of-coronavirus to take part and make a real difference while staying safe at home.

Original article here.

Original Article

drone-vs-locusts-thumbnail-1024x632

Innovations We Love

LOCUSTS VS DRONES

Purpose Pioneers are individuals, initiatives and business who are brave enough to take a risk for the greater good of humanity. They prioritise purpose over profit and in the process, pave the way and inspire others to follow. Here are a few innovations that do just that.. we hope you feel inspired to create change.

LEVI’S

Did you know there such a day as World Water Day? It is meant to shed light on water-related issues and encourage people to take action to make a difference – the end goal being “water for all” by 2030.

The Levi’s brand takes water usage seriously and is doing its part to fight the water crisis, not just today, but every day. Here are a few ways they save water:

Saving water in finishing techniques

Levi’s designers are constantly thinking of new ways to create the same denim we all trust and love while cutting back on water, such as reusing water during production and creating new finishes that require less water than traditional processes. To date, the brand uses more than 20 water-saving finish techniques, and they share their methods with others to inspire industry-wide progress.

Going Water<Less™

Their Water<Less™ process can reduce up to 96 percent of the water normally used in denim finishing, the final stage in making of a pair of jeans! So far, they have saved more than 3 billion litres and recycled more than 1.5 billion litres of water through their Water<Less™ innovations.

As of today, more than 67 percent of all Levi’s products are made with Water<Less™ techniques. By the end of this year, their goal is to hit 80 percent!

If Levi’s is getting it right and because every drop counts, how can YOU save more water?

Read more here!

ZINDI

Ever thought that data science could change the world?

Meet Zindi, a Social Enterprise that harnesses data science for good. As the first data science competition platform in Africa, Zindi hosts an entire ecosystem of scientists, engineers, academics, companies, NGOs, governments and institutions focused on solving Africa’s most pressing problems.

How does it work?

Zindi works with companies, non-profit organisations, and government institutions to develop data-driven solutions and help them to really push creative boundaries in the process.

For data scientists, from newbies to rock stars, Zindi is a place to access African datasets and solve African problems. Data scientists will find all the tools they need on Zindi to compete, share ideas, hone their skills, build their professional profiles, find career opportunities, and have fun!

Bravo Zindi, bravo!

Photo by Zindi.

LOCUSTS VS DRONES

Have you heard?

The United Nations will test drones to spray pesticides in parts of East Africa. Equipped with mapping sensors and atomisers, the drones will help battle an invasion of desert locusts that are ravaging crops and exacerbating the hunger crisis.

Hundreds of millions of the voracious insects have swept across Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya in what the UN has called ‘the worst outbreak in a quarter of a century’, with Uganda, Eritrea and Djibouti also affected.

Authorities in those countries are already spraying pesticides from the air, but experts say the scale of the infestation is beyond local capacity as desert locusts can travel up to 150 kilometres a day. They threaten to increase food shortages in a region where up to 25 million people are reeling from three consecutive years of droughts and floods.

But can drones fix this?

Climate scientists say that global warming may be behind the current infestations, which have also hit parts of Iran, India and Pakistan. Warmer seas have resulted in a rise in the frequency of cyclones in the Indian Ocean. This caused heavy downpours along the Arabian Peninsula, creating ideal conditions for locust breeding in the deserts of Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Existing drone models are restricted in terms of the volumes they can carry and the distances they can cover due to their size and limited battery life, say entomologists and plant protection researchers. Another challenge for drone use in such emergencies is the lack of regulation. This makes it harder to deploy larger drones, which have petrol-powered engines capable of carrying tanks of up to 1,500 litres and travelling distances of up to 500 km, and often require special approval.

Researchers are increasingly looking to technology to help provide early warning signs and control locust outbreaks amid fears climate change could bring more cyclones. Read more about it here!

What other innovations have you spotted by Purpose Pioneers? We’d love to hear from you.

Original Article

Vision-tactical-thumbnail-1024x632

From Security Guards to lockdown Knights in shining armour

cision tacticle

With the lockdown brought on by the COVID19 Pandemic, food security has become a massive issue. We have found South Africa almost become a Mutual Aid country, where many people are giving and lending a helping hand to those in need. Vision Tactical, a private security company partnered with a local NGO, The Muslim Association of South Africa (MASA), to deliver and hand-out essential goods to those in need.

The Muslim Association of South Africa (MASA) is an independent Muslim humanitarian non-profit organisation with its firm focus on religious values, educational elevation, social welfare and a charitable culture. Their purpose is the achievement of large-scale societal change through community alliances. Sharing of resources to create a utilitarian society in which all members of community can benefit. We at Purpose Pioneers applaud this initiative as this is a religious NGO that is not just helping their own but helping those in need regardless of their race or religion.

When everyone is committed to the overall goal, teams move faster, are more innovative and more successful.
_
Successful teamwork is essential during a time like this, #Covid19Lockdown on the ground together #ProtectingCommunities ?? with @SAPoliceService @SANDFCorpEvents pic.twitter.com/BCId6iL2DL

— Vision Tactical (@visiontactical) April 18, 2020

Director of Vision Tactical, Yaseen Theba says that it’s positive to see how many NGO’s and volunteers have come forward and rose to the challenge of assisting the needy during a very challenging time.

“The members from the Muslim Association of South Africa found out about the dire need for essential food items required at the Bakazela Settlement, they then immediately purchased the items, and came out to distribute.”

Theba says that every helping hand counts at this point in time.

“During this challenging period, being proactive and positive is the only way to move forward stronger and together.”

Our teams just delivered at the West Rand APD (Association for the Physically Disabled) in Krugersdorp. #UbuntuInAction #ReliefReformReward #COVID19 #CommunityRelief #LockdownSA @David_Makhura @Lesufi pic.twitter.com/oey3DnizlQ

— Muslim Association of South Africa (@MuslimAssocSA) May 12, 2020

Those wanting to contribute, visit The Muslim Association of South Africa

Original Article