Consistent financial support from Anglo American’s dedicated Corporate Social Investment (CSI) arm, the Chairman’s Fund, towards the Teddy Bear Clinic, is making a noteworthy difference to the lives of abused children in Soweto and the West Rand.

Since 2009, the Chairman’s Fund has donated over R800 000 towards the Teddy Bear Clinic’s core costs. The funding has proved critical in allowing the non-profit organisation to mobilise change, and provide therapy, counselling, assistance, love, comfort, safety and on-going support to children who have been abused.

Teddy Bear Clinic director, Dr Shaheda Omar, says that the Chairman’s Fund financial assistance has proved critical in furthering the clinic’s objectives.

“The progress that the clinic has achieved wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the consistent support of the Chairman’s Fund. The Fund has ultimately allowed us to fundamentally improve the lives of abused children in the communities we operate in, and provide them with a sense of renewed hope.”

Omar further notes that the donations from the Chairman’s Fund have enabled the organisation to be more proactive in finding solutions and implementing preventative measures. This includes running workshops and conducting training programmes in which communities are equipped with information on how to better cope with the emotional and physical effects of abuse.

The Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children was established in 1989 and offers rehabilitation and court preparation programmes to abused children and their families.

Chairman’s Fund Chairperson, Norman Mbazima, concludes that the effective results of the Teddy Bear Clinic are consistent with Anglo American’s overall objectives.

“Anglo American’s Chairman’s Fund is completely dedicated to furthering the development of South African communities, and one of the areas that we have identified as a major barrier to community welfare, is child abuse.

“As such, we are proud to support the Teddy Bear Clinic in its endeavours, and assist this organisation to effect real change in communities by ensuring that abused children have access to a better life, and grow up to become positive contributing members of society.”

Ends

For further information, please contact:

Media

South Africa
Hulisani Rasivhaga
Tel: +27 (0)11 638 4401

Notes to editors:
Anglo American is one of the world’s largest mining companies, is headquartered in the UK and listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges. Anglo American’s portfolio of mining businesses spans bulk commodities – iron ore and manganese, metallurgical coal and thermal coal; base metals – copper and nickel; and precious metals and minerals – in which it is a global leader in both platinum and diamonds.  Anglo American is committed to the highest standards of safety and responsibility across all its businesses and geographies and to making a sustainable difference in the development of the communities around its operations. The company’s mining operations, extensive pipeline of growth projects and exploration activities span southern Africa, South America, Australia, North America, Asia and Europe.
www.angloamerican.com

About Chairman’s Fund:
The Anglo American Chairman’s Fund is one of the dedicated instruments through which Anglo American channels its corporate social investment (CSI) spend, and is the oldest professionally managed CSI programme in South Africa. The Fund is renowned for best practice within the CSI arena, and supports a highly diverse range of projects from the smallest to the largest among different social development sectors countrywide.