Red Carnation Hotels South Africa will exhibit at Indaba 2016 from 7-9 May, on stand number ICC N14, showcasing its social responsibility projects under the hashtag #RCHcares. The group includes The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in Cape Town, Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat in the Cederberg, and The Oyster Box in Umhlanga, all of whom have a number of CSI projects to which they are passionately committed.
Pack for a Purpose
With a philosophy of ‘Small Space. Little Effort. Big Impact’, the global Pack for a Purpose initiative encourages travellers to make a lasting impact in the communities at their travel destination by bringing with them supplies to donate to local schools or medical clinics in need. Red Carnation Hotels asks their guests to support the project by saving some space in their luggage to bring with them small items that can impact positively on the lives of local children and families. For just over two kilos of luggage space, one person could for instance bring up to 400 pencils; or five deflated soccer balls with an inflation device; or a stethoscope, a blood pressure cuff and 500 adhesive bandages.
Guests staying at The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa who are dropping off supplies will be supporting the Amy Biehl Foundation, a non-profit organisation whose mission is to prevent youth violence through meaningful development programmes in socio-economically disadvantaged communities in and around Cape Town. The Foundation works to develop and empower disadvantaged youth aged 6 – 18 in the townships, to contribute to their communities.
In the Cederberg, the local Elizabethfontein Primary School and its 230 pupils are close to the heart of Bushmans Kloof, which supports academic, cultural, entrepreneurial and environmental education for children from this farming community. Academically the school sets out to cultivate entrepreneurship and equip its students with practical skills to ensure a future and self-employment in an environment where jobs are hard to come by.
In Durban, The Oyster Box teams up with Lungisisa Indlela Village (LIV), an organisation that partners government, business and church organisations to provide urgently needed holistic residential care for thousands of vulnerable and parentless children. The core vision is to ‘rescue a child, restore a life, raise a leader and release a star’. To date 38 environmentally friendly homes have been completed, with 28 house mothers and 80 previously vulnerable and orphaned children in residence.
Rhinos Without Borders
The Oyster Box has created its own Rhino Initiative as a response to the high incidence of poaching in KwaZulu-Natal, which is at the heart of some of the oldest protected areas in the world. The Oyster Box is committed to the protection of these ancient creatures and is playing its part in their preservation. Funding generated through donations by Oyster Box guests, who return their key-cards on checkout (R5 per card), goes towards the Rhinos Without Borders project. Out of the total collected by Rhinos Without Borders, 40% will pay for the capture, transport, quarantine and release of the animals and 60% will be dedicated to the continued conservation, protection and monitoring of the species, spread evenly between the rhino populations at source and destination.
Cape Leopard Trust
Bushmans Kloof, winner of the 2015 CapeNature Biodiversity Stewardship Awards for ‘Excellence in the field of conservation’, further supports a number of conservation projects, including The Cape Leopard Trust. The organisation is dedicated to the conservation of the Cape’s predator diversity, in particular, the leopard (Panthera pardus), as well as the caracal (Felis caracal). Since 2005 Bushmans Kloof has been one of the main sponsors of the Global Positioning Satellite systems (GPS) collaring project for the leopard in the Western Cape. To date, over 20 collars have been fitted for monitoring purposes, before the leopards were released back into the wild. The Cape Leopard Trust works towards conserving the Cape’s predator diversity through simultaneously implementing conservation and research projects, and tourism initiatives, in addition to finding effective ways to facilitate harmonious co-existence between leopards and farm owners in the region.
Riel Revival
Bushmans Kloof was the birthplace of the now famous Riel dance troupe, Die Nuwe GrasKoue Trappers. Born out of traditional Khoi and San ceremonial dances around the fire, the Riel Dance has been practiced by descendants of these indigenous cultures for many years. The Riel is recognised as a form of creative cultural expression, and was very popular in the forties, fifties and sixties, but has been grossly neglected in recent decades. Bushmans Kloof has been instrumental in the revival of the Riel in a project driven by Floris Smith, ex-Executive Chef at Bushmans Kloof. A trained professional dancer, Smith founded, managed and trained the 17 young dancers, who in 2015 made it all the way to the USA where they not only competed in the prestigious World Championships of Performing Arts, but also brought back several gold medals.
The TreadRight Foundation
Red Carnation Hotels South Africa is also involved, through its founders and owners the Tollman family, in The TreadRight Foundation. Created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s family of brands, The TreadRight Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that works to help ensure the environment and communities travellers visit remain vibrant and preserved for generations to come. To date, TreadRight has supported more than 35 sustainable tourism projects worldwide. The foundation’s guiding principle is to encourage sustainable tourism development through conservation, leadership and support for communities. Current initiatives include sponsoring the National Geographic Society’s inaugural ‘World Legacy Awards’, helping to combat wildlife crime with WildAid, and empowering individuals with the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise.
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