Hyundai Automotive South Africa has handed over a brand new library and learning centre to Lavela Secondary School in Soweto – the 22nd sponsorship in its kind and part of the company’s ongoing corporate social investment programme in collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company in Korea and the DP World Motus Community Trust.
About 800 learners of Lavela Secondary School were present at the event where Mr Neo Sithole, school principal, thanked the sponsors of the library and pledged to “use it effectively and efficiently, and use it in our purpose as educators to accompany our learners to responsible adulthood, to produce refined and cultured adults. The library, the resource centre is going to contribute to that.”
Gideon Jansen van Rensburg, CEO of Hyundai Automotive South Africa, said it was an honour to stand in front of the school’s learners and to hand over the library. “You are the deserving recipients, and you should all be very proud of yourself.
“The Hyundai library legacy commemorates our values and our corporate investment initiatives. We pride ourselves in giving back to the community that lives among us. We believe in education as a sustainable way to change lives for the better.”
Jansen van Rensburg said one’s current situation does not have to determine one’s future. “You are the only person in charge of your future. You have to educate yourself to become better informed about opportunities.
“Today is like giving your school an airplane. Some of you will be scared to use it, some of you will just be passengers on the ride. But there is an opportunity for everyone to learn to become the pilot on this airplane and become the captain.
“You need to be able to read with comprehension to understand. The world is evolving, and we see it every day in our business. Artificial intelligence is taking over. The internet is the place where everybody goes. But the basis of all of this is you need to be able to read and understand what you read so when people tell you a story you can go and verify that this is the truth.”
Hyundai Automotive SA’s library corporate social investment in education started in 2013 with its initiative to create libraries and learning resource centres at schools in previously disadvantaged communities in the south of Gauteng. Since 2013, 22 libraries have been donated to schools in the region at a total investment cost of about R31,5 million.
Part of the sponsorship is the provision of a trained librarian for the library and resource centre, and to pay the salary of the librarian.
Unleashed
Dawn Nathan-Jones started her illustrious career at 21 when she joined Imperial Care Rental when it was just getting off the ground and only had five cars. Her ability to innovate, reinvent and drive change helped her become CEO of Imperial Group\’s Car Rental Division. In the position for 18 years, she spearheaded the merger of Imperial Car Rental and Europcar, which is now used as a case study for rebranding by local and international business schools. She went on to become one of the \”sharks\’ on M-Net\’s Shark Tank. In 2007, she won the Transnet Foundation\’s Boss of the Year Award. In 2012, she was appointed as Vice President of SAVRALA (Southern African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association). She is a member of the Business Women\’s Association, International Women\’s Forum, Institute of Directors and advocate of Equal Opportunities for Women and founded the Europcar Jewish Woman in Leadership Award.