Community Corporate Social Investment Award

This award is presented to an organisation or individual in recognition of the significant role they have played in contributing towards community upliftment.

The finalists for the 2011 Community Social Investment Award are:

Islamic Propagation Centre International (IPCI)
The Islamic Propagation Centre International (IPCI) was founded in 1957 by the late Shaikh Ahmed Deedat (1918-2005). Since inception, the IPCI has been a global player in promoting the message of Islam (da’wah) to other faith communities. As a specialist in the field of comparative religion, the IPCI has developed innovative and pioneering programmes both to increase the availability of Islamic material and to build bridges across communities.

In a post 9/11 global environment, the effective presentation of Islam and de-bunking of misconceptions, particularly those which juxtapose Islam with terrorism, have become priorities. The IPCI has therefore placed greater emphasis on its education and training programmes to meet this challenge. This has involved a range of fresh approaches in re-defining a new narrative for religious dialogue and interaction between faith-based communities in the prevailing global socio-political environment.

During the 2010 World Cup, the IPCI pioneered a unique national campaign called ‘SA Muslims 2010’. This innovative social outreach campaign involving a broad-based national network of stakeholders, focused on the multiculturalism and diversity of South African society and offered a range of free hospitality and tourism services to local and foreign guests. The success of their on-going interfaith dialogue programmes in East and Southern Africa continues to foster a culture of respect, tolerance and understanding between different faiths.

The IPCI has been invited to speak at an increasing number of churches, bible colleges and higher educational institutions nationally and beyond, an achievement which would be unlikely in many other parts of the world. Since 2007, when the IPCI was a finalist in the Business Awards, the organisation has established a state-of-the-art Discover Islam Exhibition and Multimedia Centre to enhance its activities and education programmes. Since its establishment in June 2010, more than 5 000 people have visited the centre.

The IPCI has expanded its programmes to communities in Africa and in the past year conducted large public programmes in Uganda, Kenya and Botswana. This will be increased to include regions in Central and West Africa during the next two years. The IPCI has recently established Memoranda of Understanding with various institutions in Africa, the UK and South East Asia. The Board of Trustees continue to evaluate their marketing and communication activities to ensure that they are easily accessible to all communities, particularly priority groups such as the youth. With an average of 5 000 visitors annually, the IPCI reaches a diverse range of people, both locals and tourists, enabling the organisation to present the fundamentals and value system of Islam as well as its contribution to societal challenges of the 21st century.

The South African National Zakah Fund
(SANZAF)
Since winning the IslamicFinance Business Award in 2007, SANZAF has continued with its upliftment projects, but has focused on the challenge of using the funds donated to maximise community benefit. In reviewing its responsibility, development and sustainability as well as innovative leadership became clear priorities. The key to achieving these objectives was to design and implement more formal entrepreneurship training to empower and equip people to become self-sufficient.

SANZAF Gauteng Administrator, Mr Hoosen Essof, said: “This shift in focus required a more “gutsy” approach. For 37 years we have been providing basic “welfare” assistance and for more than 25 years we have offered tertiary level bursaries and funding to enable our recipients to attend short courses. We realised that to upscale community benefit, we needed to become more involved, financially and emotionally, rather than just offer once-off financial assistance or a food hand-out. This is essential in order to transform mind-sets from begging to development.” Working with accredited trainers, SANZAF has developed a four-week business training course which offers practical skills for people who want to start their own small businesses. As the recession bites, housewives, street-sellers and professionals who have been retrenched have been assisted to start their own small businesses.

SANZAF has invested almost R5 million in this project in the last four years. After the training programme, SANZAF mentors the start-up business, providing financial support for three to five months. This enables the enterprise to establish itself and protects capital from being eroded through day-to-day running costs. Profits can be ploughed back into the business and stock levels can be increased. SANZAF measures the return on ‘investment’ in terms of how long the individuals can sustain themselves. To date the programme has been a phenomenal success delivering a 65% success rate when measured over an 18 month period. SANZAF has been working hard to professionalise its approach to serving the poor by providing exemplary leadership in the Muslim NGO sector.

Mr Essof says: “Although we are often labelled a welfare organisation, we believe that development can be infused into all forms of service. We recognise the poverty and underdevelopment that exists in our country, but we believe that it’s important that Muslims become agents for reconstruction and development.” This is evident from the projects and initiatives undertaken by SANZAF. For the financial year ending July 2011, SANZAF collected and distributed over R65 million in South Africa.

The South African Halaal Authority (SANHA)
The truth “you are what you eat” and the adherence to Halaal dietary laws are central to the Muslim faith. The word Halaal is derived from the Quran and means lawful or permitted. A Muslim is required to consume Halaal food and the implementation and regulation of these stringent requirements which include humane slaughter, animal welfare, hygiene, purity and non-contamination are all controlled by the South African Halaal Authority (SANHA). The evaluation and regulating of food products is an area of expertise which requires in-depth knowledge and skill. In the post-apartheid South Africa, new areas of sourcing food became available to consumers.

Consequently, the requirement for products to be accredited Halaal and sanctioned by a reputable authority became an urgent priority. The official statistics reflect the Muslim population as 834.000, however, SANHA estimates that the population is closer to 1.5 million. This represents 1.5% of the population who control approximately 20% of the wholesale/retail trade catering for all population sectors. These entrepreneurs include food processing plants who wish to sell to wider markets than just the “niche” market of Halaal. Their religious obligation also plays a role as they are precluded from dealing with Haraam.

The South African National Halaal Authority (SANHA) was formed on 20 October 1996 following an in-depth accreditation and consultation process. It is an international, non-profit organisation, representing the Muslim Ummah on all matters pertaining to the general application of the term Halaal with specific reference to Islamic dietary laws. SANHA has established itself as a transparent and credible authority, which promotes professionalism and excellence in the certification of Halaal food. It is a founder member of the World Halaal Council and has hosted international conferences. SANHA has accredited over 1 500 businesses, has established offices in three major centers in South Africa and employs 120 people. The organisation enjoys international recognition from Muslim countries and the broader global community.