Community Engagement

The University of Johannesburg has the three pillars representing their core business:

• Teaching & Learning
• Research
• Community Engagement

If we value it, we must encourage it.

At Accountancy@UJ this encouragement has taken shape in the founding of the #UJDOnation.

We believe that we are a nation called to ACTION. I DOnation!

Through the #UJDOnation, we aim to create opportunities for authentic connection and impactful involvement for our students and staff.

We are confident that the department will produce business leaders with impact and influence. If we are able to embed generosity and gratitude in our students as part of our curriculum and activities, their future impact and influence will surely lead to a significant change.

UJ Kindness Calendar 2021

Accountancy@UJ took this initiative as a means to empower the youth and give them the tools to succeed and self-reflect on the notion of community and how acts of kindness can be used to UNITE and SUPPORT our communities and causes.

The campaign placed emphasis on a different theme/focus each month in the year of 2021, with a project placed within context of the focus theme.

March

Focus: Our education
Project: Hey High School Self

April

Focus: Our mental health
Project: Fill your toolkit with tools to stay mentally fit

May & June

Focus: Our youth
Project: #UJ LifeHacks Online Event

July & August

Focus: Our women
Project: GBV – The PLEDGE

September & October

Focus: Our literacy
Project: Literacy Project

November & December

Focus: Our planet
Project: EcoBrik Project

Mandela Month 2021: A Road to #UJPositiveMasculinity

Imagine how powerful it could be if each man can stand up, in their own way, to say “it ends with me”.
Imagine how powerful it would be for their colleagues and our young male and female students, to witness it.

This project consisted of a deep conversation between Tendani Mutshutshu and Luke Lamprecht who tackled the complex road leading to positive masculinity, with the aims of creating social awareness around this shrouded topic.

Listen to the conversation here

UJ Educator Empowerment Initiative

It is our vision that the UJ Educator Empowerment Initiative will empower educators in the EMS (Economic & Management Sciences) field in a way that enables informed and effective teaching in the class room. If you teach a teacher, you teach a nation.

The idea is not to teach the syllabus or content but rather empowering them to understand the bigger picture behind financial statements.

During 2015, 115 EMS teachers have been empowered to date with the next workshop scheduled for middle August.

ARK (Acts of Random Kindness) Project through the change the World for Good Foundation

The sole aim of this project is to remind people that every single person has the ability and ultimately, the responsibility to make the world a better place through positive actions – basically, through goodness and kindness.

The mission statement of this campaign is Change the World for Good. The goal is to distribute charity boxes in the shape of an ARK. The label on each charity box read: “Change the World for Good” When full give me to someone less fortunate. The organization will not take the charity boxes back as this is not a fundraiser.

The organisation simply wants to encourage people of all ages to increase in acts of goodness and kindness. Be part of the kindness movement.

http://www.changetheworldforgood.co.za/​

Clothes2Cash Partnership

C2CX operate by asking organisations to collect clothing through their schools, communities, churches etc. C2CX pays the organization R5 per usable KG that they collect. The organization can use these funds for their own outreach projects or for our clothes to wheels, clothes to trees programmes. C2CX uses the clothes to empower those less privileged than us by creating jobs for people to sort and bale the clothing, and by helping budding entrepreneurs to sell the clothing on, in their own communities. By selling us your clothes, you will see that there is a tangible economic and social impact!

At the end of 2014, Accountacy@UJ collected 144,6 kg of used clothes (Gross Weight). These clothes were sorted into usable and unusable clothing. Usable clothes totalled to 100,2 kg at R5 per kilogram, raising R501,00.

Unusable clothing of 44,4 kg will be donated to Life Link 24/7 Cares (098-544 NPO). Life Link 24/7 Cares will donate these clothes to NPO repair workshops. These clothes will be repaired and reused for charity

C2CX, on behalf on Accountancy@UJ, also donated a further R200,40 to Life Link 24/7 Cares as agreed to match your R5 per kg with R2.

http://www.c2cx.co.za/how_we_work​​

KYP Partnership

KYP’s mission is to provide opportunities that will enable our young people to rise out of poverty.

We seek to develop young and dynamic individuals who are willing to contribute effectively for the betterment of their community.

Our tutoring, athletic, and arts programs provide a life to the children of Kliptown not defined by survival, but by the ability to be active community members, to have dreams, and most of all to have hope about the future.

KYP is also the beneficiary of the Shoebox Project from UJ.

http://www.kliptownyouthprogram.org.za/​

Door of Hope Partnership

In 1999 Cheryl Allen from Berea Baptist Church, learned with deep distress that a high number of newly born infants were being abandoned. At the time 40-50 babies were being dumped every month and left to die of starvation or exposure. Cheryl realized that many of those desperate women and girls may well have acted differently had there been an alternative. The church made a hole in their wall and a ‘baby bin’ was installed allowing for mothers to leave their babies anytime day or night. The moment a baby is placed in the bin careworkers on duty receive an electronic signal alerting them. The baby is taken in and the anonymity of the donor ensured. News has spread and other babies have been brought personally by their mothers or have come through other means such as the police, community members, hospitals or clinics. By faith and reliance on God alone and from small, humble beginnings, the ministry has grown and over 100 children’s’ lives are being saved every year.

http://www.doorofhope.co.za/​​

Support of the Little Rose Day Care Centre

The Little Rose Day Care Centre was founded in 1993. They were only formally registered as an NPO in 2013.

They provide care for approximately 65 children aged 1 to 6 on a daily basis. This care includes education as well as a meal. Most parents pay fees of R 200 per month for this care, but Little Rose also supports 15 children whose parents are not able to afford the funds.

Over and above the day care provided, they care for 17 orphaned children.

Maintenance, education and staff cost has been a constant battle for this centre. Their response to this challenge was to start applications to various funds earmarked for early childhood development (ECD) centres. Most funds however have audited financial statements as an application requirement. This is something they do not have.

This is an amazing opportunity to be the connector between a resource and a need.

If you are aware of a firm/individual that is looking or an opportunity to donate their skills to such a cause, kindly forward this mail to them. You are also welcome to send contact details to me and I will approach them directly. Any thoughts, ideas and avenue suggestions welcomed.

As Accountancy@UJ we will be responding to their immediate need for clothes, maize, rice and tinned food throughout the year. We will also connect them to the Community Engagement structures at UJ.​

Collections for KYP, Little Rose Day Care Centre & Xenophobia attacks

Collections have included everything from clothes, to blankets, to tinned food and toys.

Mandela Day 2015 Partnership: Door of Hope

Students to volunteer their time for clean up of the organisation. Specific element of care for the carers of these vulnerable and abandoned children.

Mandela Day 2015 Partnership : Little Rose Day Care Centre

​Students to paint pre-school class rooms and collect/made much needed educational toys.

Mandela Day 2015 Partnership: KYP

Soccer day with KYP students.

Mandela Day Partnership 2015: Smile Foundation

​Celebration for the nurses in the Charlotte Maxeke hospital for their support of the Smile Foundation families and the children.​