Peermont CSI Awards recognise sustainable development agents

Peermont Hotels, Casinos and Resorts  recently hosted an awards ceremony celebrating the contributions of all those involved in making its various CSI projects a success over the last year.

The event was hosted on Friday, 25 August 2017 at Emperors Palace, where attendees were  treated to an exquisite dinner in celebration of all their hard work.

“The CSI Awards celebrates the important contributions of our people, who play a major role in the success of the many upliftment projects sponsored by Peermont,”

says Vusi Zwane, trustees of Peermont Community Benefit Trust.

“Every Peermont unit nationwide supports a CSI initiative, and this event highlights the fantastic work being done to create sustainable development for the community.”

Peermont’s CSI initiatives contribute millions of Rands to the communities surrounding its business units each year. In 2016 alone, Peermont invested an impressive R42 million towards the growth and development of local communities across its properties.

The Peermont Children’s Trust, for example, is an after-school care programme that assists over 600 children across seven centres throughout Ekurhuleni. Beneficiaries receive nutritious meals, and space to do their homework in a safe environment, all supervised by professional care-givers.

Peermont sponsors 260 learners at three Star School sites each year to help increase student pass rates for crucial subjects. The learners are provided with extra lessons in Mathematics, English and Physical Science, and are in turn invited to apply for a bursary through the Peermont Education Trust. To date, the Trust has celebrated 117 graduates in various fields of study, including commerce, engineering, medical technology and physics.

Peermont also opened its very own hotel school at Emperors Palace, aimed at up skilling young people in the Ekurhuleni area, where learners are taught theory and practical skills to pursue careers in the hospitality and tourism sectors – two of the highest-growing economic sectors in South Africa. Over 1,000 learners are expected to enroll at the school in the next three years.

“Providing disadvantaged children and youth with educational tools and access to quality education remains vitally important to us,”

says Zwane.

“Our programmes have a natural progression and we have instituted a pipeline that starts with the school years and continues until the youth become economically active, either through full-time employment or by starting their own enterprise.”

Peermont sponsors full bursaries for deserving matriculants from Ekurhuleni, offering a mentorship programme and holistic support throughout the student’s tertiary years, with a graduation rate of 85%. Along with deserving Peermont employees, four graduates will also be recognised at the CSI Awards, including Thabang Maepa, who attained a Cum Laude for his B.Sc. Mining degree.

The CSI Awards included a prize-giving ceremony recognizing  top two  business units for their community involvement and the success of their specific CSI projects.