Richmark Holdings has found a way to help educate the under privileged children of Tembisa, South Africa

It joined in an initiative to aid the Sunrise Combined College taken on by Chatz Charity and is giving the young children of Tembisa new opportunities to study in a safe and comfortable environment. Since 2005, the Sunrise Combined College has been operating as a privately run school. It was established in response to the overcrowded conditions and extremely long waiting lists that were prevalent in the government funded schools. That effort to reinforce the school is being strengthened this year with the additional aid and support given by Richmark Holdings.

Helping Children Learn

It is no secret that it can be difficult for even the brightest child to learn in a substandard learning environment. By offering more services and making the school classrooms larger, Richmark Holdings, in joint partnership with Chatz Charity, are hoping to make a difference. Limited funds allowed for minimal improvements when Sunrise Combined College went private in 2005. The problem of overcrowded classrooms was still a major issue in the school that was built of cheap corrugated sheets of iron. In 2012, the situation began to look up when the Chatz Charity constructed new classroom walls out of wood and ordered new blackboards for each room. The same year, after noticing that many of the young children were arriving at school hungry, a kitchen area was installed. By the end of 2012, the five-member staff in the onsite kitchen was already handing out food to some 560 children. The healthy meals consist of hotdogs, rice, sandwiches and mince. In addition, they made juices enriched with vitamins available. From 10:30 each morning, children begin to line up to receive their meal, which turned out to be the only time some of the children ate each day. The charity took it one step further by putting up a roofed area outdoors where the children could eat their meals. It installed playground equipment on the outdoors play area and is in the midst of planning a library. After noticing that there were many young children waiting in the schoolyard for two to three hours at a time, a plan is underway to build an after school care centre where the young ones can be protected from the harsh weather conditions. 

Richmark Holdings Supports Creative Entrepreneurs

Richmark Holdings was founded in 2000 as a venture capital company focussing on helping talented entrepreneurs in South Africa. It helped them build innovative businesses that could sustain long-term growth by taking an active part in making decisions. After many years of helping start-ups reach their full potential, Richmark Holdings switched paths and now concentrates most of their efforts on established businesses with at least two years of good operating records. With its new and concentrated efforts on more established companies, Richmark still holds true to its original goal of helping develop the South African economy through empowering people with jobs and funding that strengthens new ventures. 

Richmark Backs Ski Surf Champion in Hawaii

Well-known in South Africa for providing extensive funding to promising individuals and enterprises in business and in sport, Richmark Holdings, and its Executive Chairman Gavin Varejes, are proud sponsors of Oscar Chalupsky. The South African ski surf aficionado is set to take part in his 19th Molokai Challenge in Hawaii. Chalupsky has already succeeded in bringing home the title 12 times since the first time in 1983 when he was 20 and he is determined to make that 13 in 2013.

The Molokai is an arduous 51 km ocean paddle that runs across the Kaiwi Channel between Oahu and Molokai. Big swells, intense humidity and heat, and strong winds fight the efforts of the paddlers and their endurance is tested to the very limits. Oscar Chalupsky is experienced with the strenuous conditions and is preparing for it with an intense workout regime that involves running to the gym every day where he trains in the sauna, swims and does spinning sessions before running back home again. His training also includes regular long distance paddles that simulate the Molokai during which Chalupsky replicates the onerous weather conditions by wearing layers of thermal clothing and a raincoat.

Although in his fiftieth year, Oscar Chalupsky has not lost the impetus of his sporting career. His daily training has seen to it that he is a lot more fit than men half his age. After rigorous tests, the doctor responsible for the health of the Springboks, Craig Roberts, proclaimed that Chalupsky's measured fitness was at a level expected of Olympic athletes in their twenties. Roberts claims that seeing results of this degree in somebody at this age is exceptional and something he has not come across before. Oscar Chalupsky's enhanced level of fitness coupled with his harsh training program and the experience of many years of ocean paddling is what may be the perfect combination to help the paddling devotee secure his 13th victory in the Molokai Challenge in Hawaii.

Oscar Chalupsky

Gavin Varejes supports J9 Foundaton

Despite the damaging effects that Motor Neuron Disease has inflicted on Joost van der Westhuizen, the former South African scrum-half continues to display an incredibly positive attitude and has vowed to fight the disease with the same strength and determination that he showed throughout his distinguished rugby career.
Once he discovered that he was suffering from MND, van der Westhuizen setup the J9 Foundation with the aim of providing support to others diagnosed with the same condition and to bring some comfort to their lives.
Among the characteristics of MND are slurred speech, creeping paralysis and difficulty in breathing, with life expectancy rarely more than five years from the onset of the disease.
On March 12th 2013, a fundraising dinner was held at a central London hotel at which many former and present day rugby stars were present to pay tribute to one of the greatest scrum-halves to have graced the game.
The dinner was organized by Gavin Varejes, a friend of van der Westhuizen and the founder of the South African Rugby Legends Association (SARLA). In his moving welcoming speech, Varejes read out texts from a number of rugby greats, including former Springbok captain Francois Pienaar and John Eales the one time captain of Australia. 
Whilst most of the speakers were quick to highlight van der Westhuizen’s impressive rugby achievements, van der Westhuizen was keen for people to look at the more important things in life and to appreciate each and every day of their lives.
Because of his condition, Van der Westhuizen was unable to go on stage to deliver a speech; but in a pre-recorded video message he had the audience totally absorbed with his every word.
The evening ended with an auction of mostly rugby memorabilia, at which close to £100,000 was raised towards the J9 Foundation.

The Annual Put Foot Rally

 

The Put Foot Foundation, established in 2012 by  Daryn Hillhouse, Mike Sharman and  Dan Nash, is one of the two major charities supported by the Wachizungu charity organisation. Conducting the first of what will become an annual rally called the Put Foot Rally; the Put Foot Foundation has developed a unique and fun way to attract interest in their charitable cause. With the Put Foot Foundation focussing on supplying shoes to poor children from rural and underprivileged communities, the Put Foot Rally is a way for adventure seekers to take part in the cause while they assist the Put Foot Foundation in distributing the much needed footwear.

Commencing in June 2013, the 60 crew rally will be conducted over 18 days across 8000 kilometres of Southern Africa. The Wachizungu charity will have two “crews” in the Put Foot Rally and they have already attracted a significant amount of support and interest from supporters and benefactors. Gavin Varejes, CEO of Richmark and one of the founders of the South African Rugby Legends Association, has donated over R100, 000 to the Wachizungu Crew.

A highly active philanthropist, Gavin Varejes is involved with various charity groups and foundation. A founder of SARLA with John Allen, former Springbok rugby player, Gavin also supports the John Smit Foundation and the Kirsty Watts Foundation. The Put Foot Rally, being the adventure based event that it is, was right up sports mad Gavin Varejes alley, and with that SARLA were behind the Wachizungu Cre

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The Wachizungu Crew took their name from the African term used to describe mostly European explorers, who first arrived in African and seemingly behaving with little purpose. Unlike those Europeans who were “roaming about aimlessly”, the Wachizungu Crew will be going all out to bring a  difference to the many young children who benefit from the charity work of the Put Foot Foundation.