StreetSmart diners raise R 50 000 in Pretoria
StreetSmart SA, an organisation dedicated to helping street children rebuild their lives through donations from restaurants in the Western Cape, Garden Route and Gauteng, has handed over R50 000 to their Pretoria beneficiary, PEN – Streetwise, for 2017. This is part of an allocation of over R1 million raised nationally for the third consecutive year by StreetSmart SA with the balance to be distributed in the other regions later this month.
PEN – Streetwise engages with boys living on the street and other vulnerable children in Pretoria, to support them in restoring their dignity and hope for their future. Most of the youth comes from traumatic circumstances and PEN assists them to restore their emotional well-being and establish their independence and reintegration into society.
The StreetSmart funds will be used towards the payment of the social worker salary.
There are currently 7 restaurants in Pretoria that have embraced StreetSmart’s vision to make a real difference to the lives of street children. Funds are raised by adding a R5 donation to each table’s bill at participating restaurants. This donation is voluntary and diners are able to contribute more if they wish to. Al Fiume @ River Place, Chapters and Hemingway’s @ Leriba Hotel & Spa, Orange Restaurant @ Court Classique, Pride of India, Prosopa and Ritrovo, offer their diners the opportunity to give responsibly in their restaurants, and not in the hands of a child.
“StreetSmart, through the work of our beneficiaries, provides opportunities to empower street children and other vulnerable children in our communities to live viable lives. Through the generosity of our restaurant partners and other supporters we are able to continue to expand our national footprint. For the third time in a row, StreetSmart will be disbursing over R1 million to beneficiaries nationally. We are so excited to be able to continue this work through responsible giving via StreetSmart restaurants.” says Melanie Burke, Chairman of StreetSmart SA.
“At PEN we believe in moving our children from dependency to dignity. Our partnership with StreetSmart enables PEN to take ‘broken’ children off the street and give them more than just a safe space to call home. We give them an opportunity to grow into boys who are well rounded, socially well integrated, have access to education, and helping them to dream again,” says J
StreetSmart Restaurateurs and their diners are taking hands to make a difference in their communities. Nationally this partnership with 92 restaurants has raised more than R1 060 000 during 2016, for organisations that are actively involved with social development and rehabilitation of street children with the ultimate goal of family re-unification.
“There is a special feeling you get when you give someone a gift, and if that someone is less privileged, then the feeling is amplified exponentially,” says Dino Fagas, Owner, Prosopa Restaurant.
StreetSmart SA was set up in 2005 by a group of concerned Capetonians under the patronage of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and comprises resourceful board members representing business and the hospitality and tourism industries. Similar StreetSmart organisations also run independently in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA – San Francisco and The Netherlands.
StreetSmart SA is registered as a Public Benefit Organisation as well as a Non-profit Organisation and ensures that every cent donated by diners goes towards social and educational upliftment projects for street children. StreetSmart’s goal is to be part of the process of social normalisation and to encourage the public not to give money into the hands of a child as this keeps them on the streets. In essence, eating and donating at a StreetSmart restaurant is the responsible way to help a street child.