Now in its third year, a groundbreaking training programme by TFG, one of SA’s largest retail investors in the local clothing and textile production industry, has managed to become the defining example of the shared value model.

GOOD NEWS: TFG’s groundbreaking training programme has managed to become the defining example of the shared value model.

The SewGood programme has accomplished what few corporate programmes can: to train new and previously unemployed recruits, with the product of that training benefiting tens of thousands of underprivileged or disaster-hit people, all while instilling a sense of pride in those whose daily work makes a real difference in the lives of the less fortunate.

Last year, TFG trainees at its Prestige Factory in Maitland and Caledon produced 40 000 blankets – double the number produced in 2015 – which were distributed to communities in need, as well as those struck by disaster. This year, the programme will again produce 40 000 blankets for the country’s most vulnerable, and the initiative will further be extended to create a range of children’s hoodies.

“Each of our purple blankets – which have become ubiquitous in the Caledon community and in communities trying to recover from severe challenges – is not just a blanket, but a symbol of job creation that enables us to keep the nation warm,” says Mymoena Mooradd, CSI Manager at TFG.

Mooradd says the concept of “shared value” is often cited in CSI programmes, but can easily amount to little more than a corporate buzzword.

“Our flagship project is however leading the way in demonstrating how shared value can truly be achieved, for the benefit of all involved, whether it be the company, the community, individuals and workers, or broader society,” she says.

For the full article: SA Good News