Page 62 - Gondwana Collection Namibia Value Creation Report 2021

HOW WE MAKE AN IMPACT

The Gondwana Care Trust
Origins
In 2006, a group of employees
founded the Trust as a passion.
Initially, it was funded from outside
of Gondwana, mostly by employees.
Management
In 2017, the Trust was formalised when A Board of Trustees (the Trustees)
the company was restructured. A manages the Trust, which is audited
trust deed was outlined to focus our annually. Other than banking fees, all funds
efforts away from charity and go to sustainable projects. There is a formal
towards impact.
application process for beneficiaries and projects.
Gondwana’s representatives assist the Trust by
inspecting nearby recipient properties and providing
regular feedback.

The Trust is not involved in managing projects
over the long term.
The Trust is integrated with Gondwana’s business
functions. This expands our online presence and
reach, increases efficiency and improves
project coordination with Gondwana’s
Impact operations and logistics functions.
We assist recipients in becoming
sustainable, self-managing, and Meet Dgini Moyon-Visser – The Gondwana Care Trust’s champion Sonia Noirfalise-Corsini puts her organisational skills to good use
developing a sense of ownership within While Dgini Moyon-Visser was born in France, the love improving the environment. The objective was always Sonia Noirfalise-Corsini is an experienced tourism professional with experience
their own projects. of Africa flows through her veins. She spent much of to empower and not just give; projects only succeed across two continents. Her first tourism job was as a tour director, speaking
The Trust and Gondwana secure donations her childhood in the Northern African countries of when community members are accountable and five languages, on bus tours throughout the US and Canada. In 1995, she
through our lodges’ curio shops, our Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, discovering other cultures. contribute towards achieving a goal. In 2017, the became a traveller herself and accomplished her biggest dream of travelling
online store, The Narrative Namibia and Returning to France at seven was a shock. The teachers incoming MD, Gys Joubert, formalised the group into overland through Africa from Belgium to Cape Town with her soulmate. She
loyal local and international partners. warned the children about this strange new student. the Gondwana Care Trust. fell in love with Namibia and joined Gondwana in 1998.
We support our beneficiaries and Dgini and her siblings were barely understood for the Dgini describes herself as passionate and determined. Sonia has been part of the Gondwana Memes since its inception and became
facilitate contact with sponsors to first few years back as they mixed Arabic and French. a Trustee of the Gondwana Care Trust in 2017. Her strong organisational skills,
Meet the Trustees: Fabiola Schrywer – by Invitation, Quintin Hartung, Sonia Noirfalise-Corsini, assist with projects. She is particularly enthusiastic about education. Many
Dgini Moyon-Visser, Gys Joubert, Chris Gouws, Jescey Bekker – by Invitation, Iroleen Hurter She went to university in the UK and France, studying Namibian children walk several kilometres to school each developed from many years in lodge operations, are an asset when delivering
public relations and human resources. When she moved day. Many children suffer from trauma. Disabled children support across Namibia and completing projects on time. She enjoys being
to South Africa in 1994 she studied tourism. In 1995, she have an especially difficult time accessing any education. hands-on and thrives when packing parcels and organising the logistics for the
moved to Namibia, and in 1996, she married Jaco Visser, Trust. This role means she gets to see the children’s smiles regularly.
During 2021: A highlight for Dgini was working with a dedicated
Gondwana’s Financial Director. She began working for Sonia believes the Trust’s strength lies in its extensive footprint across Namibia
○ The accounting function was incorporated into the Gondwana Finance Department with oversight Gondwana in 2004, with ownership in Anib lodge. school principal to equip a northern Namibian school and close relationships with partners and beneficiaries. Through trusted
with computer equipment. Today this school, in the
from the Trustees The origins of the Gondwana Care Trust stem from middle of nowhere, has 50 computers and is the only relationships, all funds received reach their intended destinations. A Windhoek-
○ The Brand and Marketing Team assisted with brand exposure through Gondwana’s website and social We hope to increase public awareness Gondwana Memes in 2006, a group of community- school in the area with an IT curriculum. based colleague was surprised to hear that the Trust came to his hometown of
media platforms minded individuals. Some female team members suffered The year 2021 was especially tough as the Trust almost Bethanie with the Back-to-School Christmas Bag project.
https://gondwana-collection.com/en/about-us/gondwana-care-trust/ of our projects and provide a channel from gender-based violence, while others did not take ran out of funds several times. Just when she was close While born in Italy, Sonia’s values and ethics were shaped during her childhood
up opportunities. She wanted to know why. Dgini began in the Netherlands. Dutch people are known for their transparency, fairness
○ The Trust involved the younger generation of Go4Gold participants in the Trust’s activities for other like-minded people and visiting informal settlements and saw how girls did to giving up, someone would donate. The Trust received and equality. She dreamed of following her uncle’s footsteps to become
over N$2 million in corporate and individual donations.
○ The Trust procured donation boxes to be placed at various shops, schools and offices to collect non- not attend school during their menstrual cycles. The a general manager of a five-star hotel. Along the way, she found a better
perishable items throughout the year businesses to get involved and enhance Gondwana Memes’ first project was collecting sanitary Dgini loves Namibia’s open spaces and the diversity purpose in Africa with Gondwana’s philosophy of operating a sustainable
○ The Trust expanded our exposure by joining the StayToday website’s GiveToday platform pads for the girls. of its people. Namibians are resilient and strong. They tourism company. She has enjoyed every year of her career in African
may be stubborn at times but wonderfully warm when
https://www.today.com.na/give/gondwana-care-trust the good we can do. The projects kept coming, increasingly varied, from they open their hearts. hospitality.
working with children, the elderly, the homeless, to

58 VALUE CREATION REPORT 2021 GONDWANA COLLECTION NAMIBIA 59