Giving vulnerable children a sense of home

18 Aug 2025

In 2025, Intertek South Africa marked a decade of supporting a cause that is close to hearts of many people across the country and around the world.

Nelson Mandela International Day encourages individuals, communities and organisations to reflect on Mandela's values and principles and make a positive impact in their own communities. Choosing to continue with a project started in 2024, Intertek Caleb Brett employees across Durban worked together to make a difference at a children’s home in the coastal suburb of Bluff.

St Monica’s is home to vulnerable children, mostly orphaned, abandoned or at risk. The home aims to ensure a nurturing and protected environment for the children, as well as providing them with access to a good education and meeting their social needs through various programmes.

There are six large cottages on the property, each accommodating 15 children and two childcare workers. Having cleaned and freshly painted three of these cottages in 2024, a nearly 40-strong Intertek team returned to do the same for the remaining cottages to create a happier and healthier living environment. In addition, Intertek also purchased the items on the home’s donation wish list, from essentials such as toiletries to homely touches like televisions.

Through meaningful initiatives like this, our teams demonstrate how our mission to make the world a better, safer and more sustainable place for all, extends beyond our work with customers to essential community support.