Kaelo - Stories of Hope launches

Kaelo - Stories of Hope launches

Thursday, 09 July 2009 00:00

The Kaelo multimedia campaign on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), now entering its third year in South Africa, kicked off on Monday 9 July on SABC 2 at 18h00 with a 26-episode television series, Kaelo - Stories of Hope. Presented by Bontle Headbush-Mafuna, the series profiles three social responsibility projects each week, sharing the success stories of companies and communities working together to address a range of development needs.

The magic of Kaelo lies in telling these stories in a personal and engaging way, through the eyes of the beneficiaries and individuals driving projects. "Our writers research the heart of each story, and the Kaelo production crew travels throughout South Africa to unearth stories which highlight the efforts of exceptional people working to make positive changes in communities," says Sandile Koza, managing director of Kaelo Worldwide Media. "We find the stories that anyone interested in the future of this country will want to watch and read about. Kaelo educates, connects and informs."

Over 30 blue chip companies have been involved in the series and more that 145 projects from NGOs and companies have been showcased. At least 75 more stories will be profiled this year, playing a vital role in driving awareness, communication and action in Corporate Social Responsibility and public-private partnerships.  Linked Kaelo platforms include print inserts in national media, a coffee table book, radio features in five local languages and a web portal.  Kaelo can demonstrate widespread success in terms of viewer response and engagement, new company partnerships, fresh funding for NGO projects and increased awareness about participating company initiatives.

"We believe communication is an important tool in taking CSR to the next level," says Koza. "People want to support socially responsible companies, but 83% of respondents in the 2006 UCT Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing Survey felt that companies do not communicate enough about what they do. Through telling CSR stories on mass media platforms best practices can be shared, the public can be better informed, corporate reputations can be built and corporate social investment can be further mobilised."

Bringing stories of hope into South African homes
The inspirational Kaelo-Stories of Hope book will go on sale at the beginning of June in leading book stores around the country.

Each page tells compelling personal stories that illustrate the passion and commitment of individuals, government, South African companies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in driving social development in South Africa.