In a massive show of support for National Marine Week, over 110 Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) employees participated in volunteer action at SAMREC (South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre) at Cape Recife in Port Elizabeth this weekend.
In line with VWSA’s ‘Think Blue’ environment initiative, coupled with the National Marine Week (13 – 17 October) and the on-going employee volunteer programme, VWSA identified SAMREC as the beneficiary of the programme’s environment focus for 2012.
SAMREC, a non-profit organisation, was formed in 2000 mainly to care for sick or injured African penguins because of their vulnerability. Their work is vital, particularly as St Croix Island in Nelson Mandela Bay is now the largest penguin breeding colony in the world, thereby making SAMREC a marine rehabilitation facility of global importance. Situated at the Cape Recife Nature Reserve in Nelson Mandela Bay, the facility has also developed an integrated marine conservation education programme aimed at scholars. The SeaSchool programme caters to school groups and offers lessons and talks on the environment covering a vast array of topics.
Based on designs by Libby Sharwood (SAMREC Centre Manager), the Volkswagen volunteers have this weekend extended the educational facilities by creating an interactive trail and open-air classroom for learners. The volunteers also carried out renovations to the penguin general ward at the facility. The general ward, where emergency rehabilitation for rescued penguins takes place, had suffered water damage that prevented SAMREC from utilising it for its intended purposes. The renovations to the ward have now ensured that SAMREC is 100% equipped to handle large groups of rescued penguins for emergency treatment. A five kilometre stretch of beach was also cleaned-up as part of the initiative.
In addition to the volunteer action, VWSA also made a donation towards the SeaSchool programme that focuses on introducing the sea, and its creatures, to learners from disadvantaged communities. These learners more often than not have never had the opportunity to smell, feel, hear and look at the sea before. They are taught about the dangers of pollution, and the need for conservation.
VWSA also adopted 15 penguins in the SAMREC Rehabilitation Programme. The funds go towards the medical and food supplies that are required to rehabilitate the penguins so that they can be safely released into the ocean again.
The volunteer work carried out by Volkswagen Volunteers marks the seventh in a series of volunteer activations that VWSA have initiated as part of the ‘Show of Hands’ employee volunteer programme.
The programme was established in 2011 in response to VWSA employees asking for the opportunity to play a hands-on role in Volkswagen’s annual multimillion rand investment into development of local communities.
Over 700 VWSA employees have participated in the company’s volunteer programme since inception, impacting on seven local National Government Organisations in the Nelson Mandela Bay area.
Participation in the Volkswagen Great Show of Hands Volunteer Programme is open to employees of VWSA and their families.
Alan Straton
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