TFG’s Sew Good programme helps more than 40 000 people each year by providing training and skills development to previously unemployed women – the spinoff is tens of thousands of blankets distributed to the needy.

Launched three years ago, the project is on track to train 120 women this year who will produce 40 000 blankets and a range of children’s hoodies at its Prestige factories in Maitland and Caledon.

According to Mymoena Mooradd, corporate social investment manager at TFG, the Sew Good programme has accomplished what only a few corporate programmes can: to train new and previously unemployed recruits, with the product of that training benefiting 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.

A symbol of job creation

“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 Mooradd.

“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 be achieved for the benefit of all involved, whether it is the company, the community, individuals and workers, or broader society.”

“We have partnered with Gift of the Givers, which is best placed in the work that it does to distribute the blankets where they are needed most.”

Some of the recipients over the past two years include fire victims from the communities of Imizamo Yethu, Hangberg, Du Noon, Philippi, Nyanga, Masiphumelele, and flood victims from Alexandra.

Investing in local production

“The vision for the Sew Good project is to continue to strengthen and grow TFG’s Shared Value strategy by investing in local production. We are very proud of this project, which provides a leading example of how a company can positively impact communities on a local and national level by using resources integral to the company’s business,” concludes Mooradd.

TFG says it hopes that Sew Good’s model of impact investment will inspire other companies and organisations to investigate how they can implement shared value programmes which can at once positively impact their business, the communities in which their businesses operate, South African society in general and also individuals in need.