The Compass Foundation was established by Jude Martin - a man living on the streets struggling with alcoholism and drug addiction.
While living on the streets in Johannesburg he encountered a group of street children, and through helping them to find food and shelter, he began to turn his life around. With nothing but a cell-phone, 100 Rand (US$ 9.38) and a dirty street corner for an office, Jude started to build one of the most successful charities in the country - the Compass Foundation. Twelve years later, the charity now has a growing network of feeding schemes, crèches, women and children's homes, social development projects, counselling services, as well as a church which acts as the hub for a large community.
On August 8, Crown World Mobility - Johannesburg, organized a "Women's Day Raffle", and other corporate organizations, including Pureau Water and Foodcorp, were keen to help. Crowners from other business divisions donated money and other items such as clothing and footwear.
The raffle raised a total of 880 Rand (US$ 82.46), which bought each homeless woman a toiletry bag containing:
• A notepad
• Body and hand lotion
• Shampoo
• A body sponge
• Earrings
• A Razor
Crown Johannesburg interacted with some of the women at the event and were astonished to hear some of their stories about how they landed on the streets.
Special thanks to the CWM team who coordinated the event: Margie Clark (Mobility Manager) and Mobility Coordinators, Irene Strydom, Dawn Chernis, Funi Mulovhedzi and Minneka Hopgood.