“You are destined for greatness” were the words uttered by Siphosethu Level which rang true for the ladies attending the Goodyear South Africa Women’s Month celebration. Siphosethu, now a Master’s in Social Science student at the Nelson Mandela University, said those were the words she would often hear from her mentor during her development with the Vision4Girls Mentorship Program.
Goodyear South Africa celebrated Women’s Month by giving their female employees based at the Uitenhage plant the opportunity to touch the life of a young girl in the local community. At an event held on Thursday, 16 August 2018, glitter filled the room as employees were asked to showcase their creativity and design a handmade card with a motivational message to one of 151 high school girls in the Vision4Girls Mentorship Program. After completing the card, they proceeded to assemble sanitary care packs for the girls which included the card they created and various toiletries which were sponsored by the company and donated by employees.
“This will make a difference in the lives of so many girls. It might seem like a small package, but it will make a big impact on a young girl who could not go to school because of not having these necessary toiletries. You have given them confidence. Thank you to Goodyear South Africa and the employees for the contribution you have made,” said Unathi Teki, Program Co-Ordinator at Vision4Girls.
Vision4Girls, established in 2012 by Nosi Ncoyo, is a mentorship program which pairs up ambitious grade 10 – 12 learners from local high schools with Professionals and Businesswomen who can help steer them in the direction they aspire to go.
“As an organisation, we believe in connecting with the community and creating opportunities of collaboration for our employees in order to touch the lives of the people in our communities. Goodyear South Africa understands its role in empowering young women and developing the community we operate in. This year we decided to take a different direction and use our Women’s Month function to give back, fueling the need for positive influencers for young women in our community,” concluded Nonkosi Dyantyi, Goodyear South Africa Group Communications Manager.
