Company: PPC Ltd
Company Description: PPC Ltd. is the leading supplier of cement in southern Africa. PPC also produces aggregates, metallurgical-grade lime, burnt dolomite and limestone. PPC headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa with a footprint in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Mozambique and DRC.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Women Helping Women – Business

Nomination Title: Francie Shonhiwa

Describe for the judges the nominated individual's activities and accomplishments that provided support and assistance to other women since the beginning of July last year (up to 525 words):

PPC social responsibility is driven by the REAL Transformation philosophy (Real, Empower, Actualise and Lasting) and projects initiatiated in communities should be relevant and empowering the communities. Based on this philosophy, Francie implemented an income-generating project at Time for Change (TFC), a home of abused women and young girls living on the streets. The women were trained in making the following items:

• Shopping bags from old PPC branded bags. In the past, the company paid money to burn the bags, but now they have been turned into a fashion item. The bags sell at R60 ($6) and on 31 May, the women had their first R100 000-00 in their account. This project has brought dignity to these women, creating employment and alleviating poverty. The bags have crossed the borders of South Africa into the USA, Germany and Sweden. They are a big tourist hit.

• School uniforms - they have just secured a tender with the local Government to make school uniforms for Grade one pupils from poor communities.

• Work suits/overalls and PPC is now seriously considering them for the Supplier development program to supply work suits to the various factories.

• This winter, they experimented with pyjamas and these are selling very well to the public.

Currently, there are twenty women, with great potential to increase the number. Through this project, many lives have changed for the better,

The success of the project has led to the TFC Centre Manager and Francie travelling to the PPC CIMERWA in Rwanda this July to train the women of CIMERWA on similar income generating initiatives.

Food gardens

Francie is implementing organic food gardens on top of buildings. The first garden is at TFC with 200 boxes and each box with 6 – 8 plants. The young girls take care of the garden after school and are learning skills on food nutrition and crop rotation. This initiative has also helped with reduction in vegetable expenses.

PPC Women’s Forum

PPC are signatory to the UN Women Empowerment Principles. In November 2013, Francie submitted a motivation to WEP nominating the PPC CEO- Ketso Gordhan for the WEP Leadership Award. Although he did not win, Francie was invited to speak at the UN WEP event in March on the International Women’s Day. It was a platform on which Francie shared with other women on the issue of gender equality and what PPC had done to address the issue.

Francie mentors a number of young women professionals

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Provide a brief biography of the nominated individual (up to 125 words):

Francie holds a Masters in Business Administration from De Montfort University – UK. Francie is a highly motivated and result driven professional woman who is committed to enabling others to attain their highest potential. Her ability to instill hope and courage to the disillusioned is amazing. She is always looking out for like-minded people with a vision to improve the lives of the less priviledged, especially women. She is a true Social Entrepreneur.

She is also Head of Strategic Alliances for PPC Women’s Forum whose vision is to attract, nurture and advance women talent to effectively lead PPC.

Francie has had a progressive career with PPC and currently is the Head of Social Responsibility for the PPC Group across Africa.