Lekete Secondary School in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga is the first of 30 schools to benefit from Engen’s R2.5 million cash injection to the Imbumba Foundation’s Caring4Girls programme.  

Engen and Caring4Girls visited the school on April 11th providing female learners with sanitary towel packs to help keep them in school during their monthly cycles. Caring4Girls currently reaches 750,000 girls throughout South Africa and aims to support 1 million girls in 2019 and 2 million by 2020.

Engen Managing Director and CEO, Yusa’ Hassan stressed the value of education and how important it is to ensure that all young girls are empowered and have the opportunity to realise their full potential. “We cannot thrive as a society if some of our female learners are left behind, which is why we are very proud to partner with the Imbumba Foundation and contribute to this very meaningful initiative,” commented Hassan.

Engen’s Head of Transformation and Stakeholder Engagement, Unathi Magida said it is important for Engen to actively support and take care of the communities in which the company operates. 

“At Engen we strongly believe that a country which is educated is a country that will prosper.  By supporting these young girls, we will ensure that their confidence and dignity is retained and that they never have to miss school because of their monthly cycle. Most importantly, these girls will receive education and training around dealing with puberty, self-care and pregnancy avoidance, aimed at boosting their confidence. Education is a key enabler to transform lives, which is why we are so passionate about this initiative.”

Lekete Secondary School was selected to benefit from the programme as the school is in close proximity to the Bushbuckride Integrated Energy Centre (IeC), a partnership between Engen, the Department of Energy and the Bushbuckridge local municipality, which officially launched on the 12th April.  

More good news  

The Integrated Energy Centre, which operates 24/7 as a service station and convenience store, also has an Internet café, providing members of the Bushbuckridge community with complimentary access to 12 computers, printing and scanning facilities and free wi-fi. 

Added Hassan “This is our gift to the Bushbuckridge community. The petrol station will not be run as a profit centre for Engen, rather all profit will be given back the community. We have set up a trust account, run by three elected trustees who represent the local community, who will help identity relevant community upliftment projects, aimed at giving back to the people of Bushbuckridge.  Projects might include upgrading schools, bursaries, clinic facilities, care centres, supporting small business and job creation.”