It is not every day that a group of eight analysts from Stern Stewart & Co Management Services gets down to the business of building a shack for a destitute family in Orange Farm.

Wayne Dannheiser, the CEO of the company, decided to do more than just donate money to a charitable cause for their Corporate Social Investment this year. He wanted to turn it into a team building activity that would change people’s lives.

“We wanted to make a real, tangible difference, not just give money without knowing where it was used. I have known Marc Lubner, MaAfrika Tikkun’s CEO, for years and I thought he would be the right guy to speak to about this project,” said Dannheiser.

The chosen family for the Stern Stewart shack rebuilding was the Mokoena family. This family consists of two orphans, Thabo Mokoena (9) and Smangaliso Mokoena (7). They live with their aunt Agnes Mokoena and cousin, William Mokoena (14).

Agnes Mokoena is unemployed and she is wheelchair-bound because of a physical disability. Her son, William Mokoena, has to use crutches to walk.

The orphans’ mother was born in Lesotho, and died while Smangaliso was a toddler. All children are currently not receiving children’s social security grants from the government because they do not possess birth certificates.

The Mokoena family is now part of the MaAfrika Tikkun’s Angel’s Programme for orphans and vulnerable children where MaAfrika Tikkun provides families like this with creche facilities for the young children and school fees for the older children, daily meals and a food parcel once a month. They also receive counselling and psycho-social support, and where needed, shack renovation.

On the hot and windy Tuesday morning of 11 September 2007, Stern Stewart staff arrived in Orange Farm and immediately started building the shack with the guidance of the building contractors while the family looked on, exclaiming “thank you” every time one of them walked past.

Sylvia, the family’s caregiver, said, “This is the best day of my life! I can’t believe it!”

Aside from offering to go to Orange Farm to build a family’s shack, thereby changing the lives of a disabled lady, two orphans and a vulnerable child, Stern Stewart donated a generous amount of money to be used for MaAfrika Tikkun’s operating overheads as a vote of confidence in MaAfrika Tikkun’s management.

As if this was not enough, on the day of the building, Dannheiser and staff member Greg Chalmers suggested that a fence should be erected around the property in order to add ownership and status for Agnes Mokoena and the children she cares for.

Without hesitation, Dannheiser, the social worker in Orange Farm and other staff of Stern Stewart hopped into the van and bought the materials from the local building suppliers. While they were there, the company purchased linoleum flooring as well as quality light fittings. Dannheiser said, “When we leave today, this family must have a HOME.”

When the shack and fence were built and Dannheiser had installed the light fittings himself, they presented the family with food parcels as an added gift. Agnes Mokoena, sitting in her wheelchair beamed and said, “It feels like Christmas!”

As MaAfrika Tikkun CEO, Marc Lubner said, “Thank you for actually caring. It is not often that individuals offer to spend their precious time as well as their money. We treasure the investment you have made into these people’s lives. Your contribution of heart is as important as your contribution of funds and this gesture links us all as global citizens of a caring world.”