In a country where paternal absenteeism is rife, Chery went beyond lip service when the company recently celebrated Fathers’ Day, which appropriately falls in Youth Month.
In two separate but connected events, the brand that has fast become an established South African favourite, both educated and uplifted parents, including reaching out and warming the hearts of those without a father.
To kick off the Fathers’ Day campaign on 10 June, Chery hosted a symposium with Evolution of Fatherhood as its theme at Workshop 17 in Sandton.
The event was held in collaboration with Heartlines, a social and behavioural change organisation, and My Pops and I, a group that celebrates and explores fatherhood in the South African milieu.
Two movies that zero in on the concept of fatherhood were screened, Family Portrait and In Time, followed by a discussion. The event was lauded by attendees for exploring themes such as why fathers matter, the need to bring them back into the family and appreciating the role of fathers in children’s upbringing.
On 18 June, Fathers’ Day, Chery alongside attendees from the symposium, spent a whole day at Othandweni Family Care Centre in Soweto. The care centre is home to close to 100 orphaned babies, toddlers and children.
Chery’s aims were two-pronged – for the children to experience a taste of the presence of a father on this special day, but also to provide the centre with some of the necessities needed to run this crucial haven. Not only did they donate food, toiletries, nappies, baby wipes and Chery-branded blankets, but also solar lighting systems to counter the crippling load-shedding the country is experiencing.
The day was framed by a braai, games and entertainment for the kids.
Says Tony Liu, Executive Deputy General Manager of Chery South Africa: “From our very first day in South Africa, we made it clear that we wanted to be part of the South African social fabric. We introduced With Chery With Love, our global community upliftment and owner engagement programme and have since hosted many activities such as our Fathers’ Day event across South Africa.”
