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Avery Dennison Corporate / The Avery Dennison Foundation Explores Africa to Expand Its Footprint in the Region

The Avery Dennison Foundation Explores Africa to Expand Its Footprint in the Region

Sub-Saharan Africa Communications Team

March 5, 2019

Our South Africa employees took initiative to provide support for young women pursuing STEM education.

In February 2019, our South Africa team welcomed the Avery Dennison Foundation for a guided tour of Soneike High School in Cape Town, which is close to our distribution center.

The Foundation leads our company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, advancing the causes of education, sustainability and women’s empowerment in the communities where our employees live and work. Together, the Foundation and local employee teams explore CSR programs for the area, specifically those that encourage young women to discover their passions and actively pursue their goals.

The team was introduced to an existing partnership among Avery Dennison’s South Africa Human Resources team, Meta Economic Development Organization (MEDO) and XinaBox. As the facilitator of this project, MEDO launched Young Women in STEM a year ago to encourage young women to pursue careers in STEM. Similarly, XinaBox is an xChip development company that has a passion for supporting students pursuing STEM education.

Photo credit: Karl Schoemaker

This partnership has been operating successfully for the last three years, with scholars participating in 45 practical experiments. Using concepts like codes, big data and IoT (Internet of Things), the program is continually finding new ways to incorporate science and mathematics into its studies. The program has also encouraged scholars to connect with other students across the globe, encouraging diverse collaboration.  

President of the Avery Dennison Foundation and Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility, Alicia Procello, took the opportunity to visit the school and experience firsthand how our contributions are making a positive impact on the program. The day opened with an inspiring poem delivered by an alumnus of the program. The group then walked the Avery Dennison team through their learning routine and showcased the technology with which they are able to work. The students shared their passion for the program, and the various ways it has inspired them to think bigger about their lives, careers and future.

Photo credit: Karl Schoemaker

“Our employees in South Africa volunteer their time and efforts to support students in their community who have ambitious education and career goals,” shared Alicia. “The Avery Dennison Foundation is proud to be introduced to this collaboration and will continue to seek out similar opportunities in the region.”

Brittany Bull, a program graduate, shared her success story, from studying among her peers to becoming the first African to enroll and be accepted into the Morehead University in Kentucky, USA. Her success has inspired a local South African business to launch a STEM scholarship to provide financial support to students working toward their education goals.  

The Avery Dennison Foundation and our South Africa team continue to work together to identify programs and students in the region to further STEM education and careers.

Learn more about the Avery Dennison Foundation, and how our employees around the world are supporting programs and causes of education.

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