Toyota strives to be a responsible corporate citizen and sees close relationships
with communities as essential contributors to mutual prosperity. Its social development
programmes have become more progressive over the years – they have proven to be
very successful.
The company gets involved internally (employees) and externally (communities), with
funding provided by TSA and TMC, which contribute equal amounts to the Toyota SA
Foundation, as well as TSA Social Development Committee.
Internally
- The company directs most of its efforts to disadvantaged areas where the majority
of its employees live.
- Programmes range from health education and housing assistance to secondary and tertiary
level bursaries for the children of hourly-paid employees.
Externally
Toyota addresses a variety of social needs, working with community organisations
in the areas of entrepreneurial development, child welfare, welfare, job creation,
the environment and educational initiatives that do not fall within the ambit of
the Toyota Teach project. Toyota has also launched a number of initiatives to support
small businesses in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
- Offers a multi-faceted programme with its main focus on education.
- Provides grants for bursaries and scholarships
- Provides general donations, to universities and technikons around the country
- Flagship initiative is the Toyota Teach Primary School Project launched in 1991.
- Allocated R8-million initially to the project over a five-year period and by 2002,
more than R22-million had been spent, additional funding of more than R2-million
a year is allocated.
Advanced Certificate of Education
Toyota Teach aims to create a model for future education, working to improve teaching
and learning by uplifting the skills of educators, by offering a two-year Advanced
Certificate of Education training course accredited by the University of Natal,
as well as school management and governing body training.
- Toyota Teach won the Mail & Guardian’s ‘Investing in the Future Award’ in 1995.
- It is active in more than 40 schools in the Umlazi and Umbumbulu areas in Durban,
- Benefits more than 1 000 teachers and 45 000 pupils at any given time
Organisations supported by Toyota
- Rally to Read (delivering books in portable library boxes to rural schools)
- Katlehong School for the Deaf and blind
- The Early Childhood Development initiative at the Ukukhanya
- KweZwe Centre near Durban
- LifeLine
- Save the Children Fund
- Boys Town