The Board and Management of Community Chest and the Unogwaja Charitable Trust are pleased to announce a merger between Community Chest and Unogwaja.
The Community Chest of the Western Cape’s vision of a country where all individuals and families reach their human potential is based on the fundamentality of access to Health, Education, Income-Generation and Community Development. These four key strategic focus areas facilitate social change to inspire a citizenship that is active, engaged and impactful.
Community Chest has played a key role supporting the Unogwaja Charitable Trust since 2011 and all parties involved feel that the Trust will flourish under the Community Chest umbrella. Not only will this move significantly reduce the costs and overheads involved in the administration of the Unogwaja Charitable Trust, but it will also ensure continuity in terms of direction for the various projects that the Trust supports going forward.
THE UNOGWAJA CHALLENGE
The Unogwaja Challenge is an incredibly special journey that follows in the footsteps of the youngest winner of the Comrades Marathon, Phil Masterton-Smith – a man who very much epitomised the spirit of Red Sock Friday. Affectionately known as ‘Unogwaja’ or hare in Zulu, Masterton-Smith didn’t have train fare to get to Comrades back in 1933 and so cycled from Cape Town to Pietermaritzburg and then ran the Comrades Marathon. This example of ‘taking action’ to overcome one’s circumstances and following one’s heart, is very much the backbone of today’s Unogwaja Challenge – a journey of hope and inspiration that has attracted people from all over South Africa and the world.
We are also pleased to announce that Craig Kensley and Najuma Parker from Community Chest have been appointed to oversee the running of the Unogwaja Challenge, while former Unogwaja Thamar Houliston has been contracted to project manage the projects that fall under the Trust.
We are extremely excited about the 10th anniversary edition of the Unogwaja Challenge, which will take place in June 2020, with applications opening August 2019. If you would like to take part in next year’s Challenge you can email unogwaja@comchest.org.za for more information.
THE RED SOCK FRIDAY MOVEMENT
Red Socks (ShoOops!) will now be available for purchase from Community Chest offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg with options for delivery to other centres via our website www.ShoOops.com. Wearing Red Socks on Friday has always reflected the community’s spirit – one of ‘following your heart’. It is intended to grow this into a movement that embraces all South Africans and likeminded people across the world.
We are honoured to inform you that the Unogwaja Challenge will now be known as the Community Chest Unogwaja Challenge.
“Our shared philosophies of ‘Community’ and ‘Better Together’ are fully aligned and there is a great belief in what we can achieve together.” – Lorenzo Davids
