Insights

Munich, July 19, 2023 – The Munich-based communications agency PR-COM is now serving Sawabona Africa as a pro bono client. The non-profit organization cares for disadvantaged children in South Africa as well as Lesotho and provides them with access to education. The cooperation covers a wide range of communication measures – from classic PR work to social media activities.
In the last three years, there has been a lot of discussion in Germany about educational equality and equal opportunities. In the process, it has often been overlooked that in many parts of the world children are denied the start to a better life through education. In South Africa, the era of apartheid is now more than 30 years old – yet the social differences in schools are still immanent. 80 percent of all fourth graders cannot read properly and most children and young people leave school without an educational qualification. As a result, two-thirds of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are unemployed and nearly 50 percent of people of color live below the poverty line, according to Amnesty International.

Sawabona Africa – Sawabona stands for the African greeting “I respect you. I value you. You are important to me.” – aims to give disadvantaged children access to a good education. The non-profit organization works locally with carefully selected charitable organizations, which Sawabona Africa helps to raise funds and organize partnerships. The funds are passed on directly to the individual programs of the organizations. To prevent abuse and corruption, Sawabona Africa subjects the charities it supports to a multi-stage due diligence process: This includes a detailed initial screening as well as regular checks after the partnership has been concluded. Currently supported organizations include Bright Start’s education and mentorship programs, PYMA (Phakamani Young Minds Academy) after-school education program in Soweto, Help Lesotho’s school sponsorship and learning support, and Uthando (Love), which raises funds for the community through fair trade tourism.

“Thanks to my family environment and my education, all opportunities were open to me. I would like to give something back from that and give South Africans who don’t have those opportunities the chance for a better future,” explains Zilla Stekhoven, founder of Sawabona Africa e.V. A South African-educated lawyer with postgraduate studies in psychology, Stekhoven has worked internationally in many fields, including as a director at adidas in Germany, before founding Sawabona Africa in 2021. “Corruption in South Africa is pervasive and leads to a lot of negative press. At the same time, there is a great willingness to support those who urgently need help. My goal was to create a platform where people could donate to South African charities without hesitation and without any administrative fees being withheld. Together with PR-COM, we want to raise awareness of Sawabona Africa.”

“Good ideas simply deserve to be heard. That’s why we are now supporting Sawabona Africa with customized concepts for successful communications and public relations work,” adds PR-COM Managing Director Alain Blaes. “If a non-profit organization wants to reach more people and thus fulfill its social mission, consulting by experienced experts is important. However, this advice costs money – money that is then missing elsewhere. We look forward to creating pro bono awareness for Sawabona Africa and thus making our contribution to greater educational justice.”

About PR-COM

PR-COM in Munich is an expert in PR, social media and communications and focuses on the high-tech and IT industry in the B2B environment. Unconditionally high quality is the top priority for all 45 colleagues. As a result, our consultants inspire their clients with the success they achieve month after month in the media and the trust that makes collaboration so valuable. Our 9-strong editorial team impresses with its many years of IT expertise coupled with journalistic skills. Because we find nothing more boring than conventional communication, we always go the extra mile and put our heart and soul into working on new strategies and ideas for our 45 customers. We know: Behind every strong agency is a strong team. That’s why we do everything we can to ensure that our employees feel comfortable and can develop further. For us, standing still is not an option. More at www.pr-com.de

About Sawabona Africa

Sawabona Africa e. V. is a non-profit organization committed to the education of children and youth in South Africa and Lesotho and contributing to their empowerment. Based on a due diligence process, Sawabona Africa seeks, screens and approves certified and locally based charities, collects donations and arranges sponsorships. Sawabona Africa acts independently and transparently – the collected donations directly benefit the charities and their projects. The Munich-based association was founded in 2021 by Zilla Stekhoven, who herself grew up in South Africa. Sawabona Africa supports the following charities, among others: Bright Start, PYMA, Help Lesotho and Uthando (Love) South Africa.
For more information: https://sawabona-africa.com

Further Information

PR-COM GmbH
Anna-Marie Sommerfeld
Tel. +49-89-59997-753
anna-marie.sommerfeld@pr-com.de
www.pr-com.de