Kenrich Motors, a General Motors dealership in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, has pledged R10 000 per month towards the Aftercare Enrichment (ACE) programme for vulnerable children in the area.

The ACE project, an initiative run by the Integrated Community Development Project Trust (ICDP), cares for vulnerable children after school by providing a nutritional meal and a structured programme that focuses on literacy, numeracy, life skills, physical activities and musical development at the Lebone Centre.

The involvement of Kenrich Motors is part of the national GM Childlife Foundation (GMCF) project that was established by General Motors South Africa, its dealer network and GMSA Financial Services three years ago to improve the lives of children in poor communities.

According to Dean Kent, dealer owner, about 195 children are involved in the various activities offered by the ICDP Trust. "This intervention has resulted in some of the children dramatically improving their academic performance at school, improved behaviour and better nutrition and health," said Kent.

However, Kent is taking their community involvement a step further by allowing his staff to be actively involved in these children's lives at the Centre, during office hours. "We therefore do not regard our involvement as tokenism or financial goodwill, but adding value to the lives of these children as well as to the staff at our dealership", said Kent.

The staff assist with activities such as reading to the children, playing and coaching sport, art and craft projects, assisting with homework, working with the children in the centre's garden, taking them out for treats such as walks in the botanical gardens, movies and ice-cream, and transporting them to and from the Kingswood College music school for lessons. Since this involvement, two of the children have been selected to attend the Kingswood Beginner Band camp during the first weekend of the term.