Anderson Engineering

Social Investment


Anderson Enjoys Giving Back to Its Community It's been three years since Anderson Engineering identified the need for waiting shelters for school children. They recently added another school to the list of beneficiaries, Alston Primary School on Greyling Street in the CBD area, which educates more than 1 000 children from communities as far afield as Hammarsdale and Winterskloof. The Principal, Mrs. Valencia James commented, "In these difficult economic times, kind gestures like this serve only to bring hope to destitute parents, guardians, learners and the community at large." The shelter at Alston Primary has a multi-purpose function: In the morning and afternoon it serves as a protective waiting area for the children who arrive as early as 06h15 and leave as late as 16h00. It serves as a pleasant protective dining area for the children to sit under and enjoy a hearty meal provided by the School Nutrition Programme. During the breaks it provides seating for those children who enjoy sitting and socialising or reading. It has also created a new discipline and structure in the mornings which has had a positive spin- off as a result of the creation of a new entrance at the shelter and a walkway for the learners. It was while the company was in the process of erecting the shelter that there was an additional request for aid from the school and they were only too happy to oblige. The school had been informed that a high profile delegation of Parliamentarians and Department of Education officials would be visiting the school to participate in the International Nelson Mandela Day and a key part of the visit was the raising of the South African flag. While the school has a flag pole, it was not located in the area where they were to conduct the ceremony. Within the day, the team at Anderson Engineering had relocated the pole and the ceremony took place on schedule! "The erection of the flag pole in its new spot has added value to the character and culture of our school," commented Mrs. James, "Anderson Engineering is a company dedicated to being of service to others and you have made your mark on International Nelson Mandela Day as a company committed to change. A change that makes a difference to those in need."		Principal, Mrs Valencia James shaking hands with Trevor Govender of Anderson Engineering (flanked by staff) Alston pupils enjoying the shelter Principal Mrs Valencia James with Trevor Govender of Anderson Engineering

Anderson Supports the Mentally Challenged Anderson Engineering made a decision to look into how we could help the Sunnyside Farm at the suggestion of Shannon Elliott (wife of Brenton Elliott an employee of the company). Sunnyside Farm is managed under the auspices of the PMHS. It is a residential facility for 60 mentally challenged adults, located in the Bulwer district. The farm runs a dairy for internal use and also makes butter, maas and cream which are sold onto the local community. A 40 litre dairy urn is essential for the transferring of milk from the milking cluster to the vat. The urn was worn out and so we assisted by replacing it with a new one.		Hans Coertse handing over the urn to Peter Parry, dairy manager of Sunnyside Farm (representing Pietermaritzburg Mental Health Society)

Anderson Provides Shelters for Children Early in March 2010, Anderson Engineering identified the need for waiting shelters for school children at two schools in close proximity to our premises. In working with the schools, the waiting shelters were designed primarily to provide protection from the elements as many of the school children commute and have to wait for public transport. However, the location of the shelters allows them to be used for other purposes, eg: a seating area during meals or breaks. By September the concrete slabs were laid and the structures were being progressed in the workshop. The manufacturing process took a little longer than we hoped as we juggled deliveries of client projects with our desire to assist the local community. The structures are now installed at the Forest Hill and Woodlands Primary Schools respectively. Each structure provides shelter for up to 150 children. The principals of both schools expressed their gratitude to the team at Anderson and in return Hans Coertse, our Managing Member reiterated how good it felt to be in a position to assist the local community.		Hans Coertse (Managing Member of Anderson Engineering), Mr Basil Manual (Principal), Mr Jasson (former Vice Principal now Principal of Woodlands Primary) of Forest Hill Primary School) and Trevor Govender (Anderson Engineering) Hans Coertse (Managing Member of Anderson Engineering), Mr Oaks (Deputy Principal) and Mr Jasson (Principal) of Woodlands Primary

Making It Easier to Care!

Anderson Engineering looked to our factory staff for inspiration for the next social investment project. Mr Themba Mhlongo's wife (Mr Mhlongo is a senior grinder at Anderson) belongs to the Zenzele Senior Citizens Club which is a registered NPO and has 47 members.

The club is based in Imbali Unit 13 and its members assist with a variety of community activities some of which include assisting with funerals and helping the frail people. They raise funds for the various projects by sewing, growing and selling fresh produce and making jewellery. The club was looking for a way to assist four frail and bedridden people (Mr Mabasa, Mrs Bhengu, Mrs Mdhala, and Mrs Nqxongo) who could not access the external toilets as wheel chair access was limited and so they were forced to resort to using buckets for their toilet needs. By supplying the club with four commodes, the team at Anderson has made it much easier for the members to care for these people and have also restored some of the affected individuals’ dignity.

It was also mentioned that an urn would make the tea making at the regular member meetings a little easier, so we donated one of those as well!

Mr Hans Coertse, Managing Member of Anderson Engineering handing over the commodes to the ladies of
Zenzele Senior Citizens Club (Imbali Unit 13)

Wash Trough for Eastwood Primary

Mr Amien, Headmaster of Eastwood Primary School, contacted us after seeing articles about our social investment activities in the local newspaper. The school (which services the adjacent informal settlements of Tembalihle and Tamboville) feeds on average 900 children a day, and their mild steel trough, which is used daily to wash pots and plates, had rusted badly, resulting in its flooding the kitchen. As the school is subsidised only for the ingredients of the meals, with all other utensils and requirements having to be sourced by the school, he requested our assistance with a stainless steel wash trough. Hans’s immediate response was, “Let's go for it”, and the trough was installed in March.

Mr Amien, Headmaster of Eastwood Primary School with
Hans Coertse (Managing Member) and Trevor Govender of
Anderson Engineering, at the hand over.

Making a Difference

A few months ago, we received a call from Mrs Hazel du Plooy, who had seen an article in the newspaper which featured the Anderson team handing over mobile stainless steel commodes to the Elizabeth Beardmore Home. As she read that the commodes were designed to move the residents to the bathrooms and support them while they were bathing, she thought such a commode would be ideal for her husband, Zee, who had suffered a stroke which had resulted in paralysis. After the stroke Mr Du Plooy was unable to bath or shower and had to be swabbed down regularly with the aid of a helper.

When Mrs Du Plooy contacted Anderson Engineering, she had already gone to the expense of modifying the bathroom at their flat in Jacaranda Lodge so that a mobile commode could be manoeuvred in and out, allowing her husband to take a shower, because despite many enquiries she had not been able to find a suitable commode.

She approached us to ask if we would sell her one, but once Hans understood the circumstances, he decided that we would manufacture the stainless steel mobile commode free of charge.

Mrs Du Plooy was both surprised and very grateful for the donation, commenting that it had renewed her faith in people and that it would certainly improve the quality of life for both her and her husband.

Commode handover
Hans Coertse (Anderson Engineering), Trevor Govender
(Anderson Engineering), Mrs du Plooy, Helene Jason
(Anderson Engineering) and Imelda Chiliza with
Mr du Plooy (seated) at the handover

Donation to Isabel Beardmore Home

Anderson Engineering has been looking to give something back to the community in which it works (the Woodlands suburb of Pietermaritzburg) and selected the Isabel Beardmore Home as its beneficiary.

A number of projects were considered, but discussions with Matron Marlene Murphy resulted in our agreeing to donate mobile commodes to the facility, as the new frail and semi-frail bathrooms could not be used because there was no means to move the residents to the bathrooms or support them while they were bathing.

As the team at Anderson found that they could not source the mobile commodes, it was decided to manufacture both the commodes and the ramps in-house. Institutional castors were used and the frame was manufactured from stainless steel tubing. The ramps were made from stainless steel plate, to allow movement in and out of the showers.

At the handover of the commodes, Matron Murphy commented that the mobile commodes and ramps would improve the quality of life for both the staff and the residents.

“We are so excited, as using the mobile commodes will mean that some of the residents will be able to take a shower for the first time in five years.”

Commented Hans Coertse, Managing Member of Anderson Engineering, “This project has been driven and implemented by the employees of the company. It has been a privilege to provide this assistance and it has been an eye-opener to all of us as to the difference we can make to the lives of others.”

Trevor Govender (AE), Marlene Murphy, Barrie de Wee (AE)
and Hans Coertse (AE) at the handover of the commodes.