JACK HALFON ON BLOGGER: March 2015

Making music in Alexandra.

South African philanthropist Linda Twala turned 70 at the end of 2014 and celebrated by hosting a Christmas party for the senior citizens and orphans of Alexandra township. Atlas Finance helped out with the fete, too, which drew more than 4,000 attendees. For elderly residents who couldn’t make it, volunteers delivered food to their homes.

Alexandra, or “Alex”, has long been a neglected and underserved part of Johannesburg and Twala remains one of its strongest advocates. During Apartheid, he organized anti-state meetings at his Alex-based house despite threat of retaliation. Indeed, his home was once set on fire by Apartheid supporters.

An entrepreneur and provider of funeral services, Twala enjoys sharing his success with less-fortunate members of the community. He now wants to obtain affordable housing for Alex through Habitat for Humanity.

“The government needs to give away RDP houses instead of charging people for them,” he says. “And people who are selling vetkoek on the pavement should be given flats. They can’t supply the banks with credit guarantees but they have viable businesses.”

Like the township’s own Santa Claus, Twala continues bringing whatever gifts he can find to Alex and its people.

from Jack Halfon - Founder and CEO of Atlas Finance http://bit.ly/1KXuxIT

Studies show that there are eight primary reasons South African students drop out of high school, including lack of discipline and lack of interest. Principal Mr. Lekgalake of the Inkwenkwezi School in Soweto estimates that the highest dropouts are 7th, 8th and 9th graders.

To motivate students and reward attendance, the school is introducing a new initiative called the Be Wise Project. Atlas Finance is sponsoring the print and distribution of some of the Be Wise books, which drives home the importance of an education and offers advice to combat peer pressure. Each incoming student will receive a copy of the book.

The collaboration of Atlas Finance and Inkwenkwezi School is just the latest in a long series of partnerships between the two institutions. In December of 2013, Atlas promoted sustainability with a gift of citrus trees to the school. Atlas and Inkwenkwezi both hope that Be Wise will lead to lower dropout rates in the upcoming school year.

“I believe that education is the cornerstone for the growth of any community or country. I really admire this initiative for tackling the issue of school drop-out and getting this Be wise project off the ground in Inkwenkezi” said Jack Halfon, CEO of Atlas Finance.

from Jack Halfon - Philanthropist http://bit.ly/1C5UJes

JACK HALFON ON BLOGGER

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

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From my photography blog: Child Sitting in Doorway, Toy Gun in Hand

Linda Twala Keeps Hope Alive on Christmas by Jack Halfon, CEO of Atlas Finance

Be Wise: Inkwenkezi School’s Dropout Prevention Initiative - Jack Halfon on Philanthropy