Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold, embracing the scars and increasing the value. That is what B Loved embodies, restoring people and empowering the broken, vulnerable, and abandoned to understand their value. Today on In The Spotlight, Liezel is joined by B Loved Founder Louis McLaren and his fellow Director Yolandi Venter. 
KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The B Loved Foundation has been in operation since 2008 as a B4i Project initiative, with the aim to encourage businesses to be part of the restoration of our society. The Foundation started out as a trust and later grew and established itself as a preferred BEE Socio-Economic Development (SED) initiative.
• The Foundation’s mission is to instil confidence in companies by giving them peace of mind that their funding actually reaches the people it was intended for. Beneficiaries are carefully selected and supported by directors Yolandi Venter, Octavia Ephraim and Louis McLaren, who jointly take responsibility to ensure that the Foundation lives up to its purpose of making a proper difference in the journey of transformation.
• Although the legislation in South Africa originated as a black economic empowerment programme, the legislation allows 25% of all donations to be used for any race. This means that the foundation can help people from all backgrounds. 
• The B Loved Foundation has four main programmes which they focus on. The Regain Programme, The Youth Development Programme, The Community Aid Programme and Nurture SA. 
• The Regain Programme focuses on women and girls, with the beneficiaries being women who were trafficked as children and have experienced severe trauma over several years. It is a holistic approach to the process required to ensure independence and social integration of these victims.
• The youth development programme provides care and support to vulnerable youth in need, ranging from orphans to terminally ill children as well as young adults. The programme includes, but is not limited to, temporary and permanent residential care and community-based social services. The programme assists these children to experience a better quality of life by providing them with healthcare services, childhood development programmes and by facilitating specialised therapies for these children.
• The community aid programme mainly focuses on projects that involve the empowerment of communities and have previously included activities such as day care programmes, access to after school programmes, access to online resources, basic care, entrepreneurship opportunities and offering a place of belonging for those that need it.
• Nurture SA enables feeding schemes that provide much-needed food parcels to South Africans that are left devastated by economic challenges. Funds are administered and supplied to pre-qualified communities. The most basic needs of food security for those whose livelihoods are threatened are met through this programme.

BEST MOMENTS
‘It’s not just about raising funds, it’s about serving people’
‘Once a beneficiary is on board we’ve stuck with them and given them funding to do what they do best’
‘The more you give the more you receive’ 
EPISODE RESOURCES
B Loved Foundation

https://www.b4i.co.za/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BLovedFoundation

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/BLovedFoundation

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/BLovedFoundation

DONATIONS

By debit/credit card: https://www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/Blovedfoundation

Please state as reference: ‘In the Spotlight’ or ‘LiezlCvR/MGSA2022’

Bank deposit for socio-Economic Development Contribution:

Account Name: B Loved Foundation NPC

Cheque Account Number: 4096431689

BIC Code (SWIFT): ABSAZAJJ

Branch: ABSA BB HILLCREST

Branch code: 632005

Bank: ABSA

Please state as reference: ‘In the Spotlight’ or ‘LiezlCvR/MGSA2022’

Please forward proof of payments into the account to [email protected] or [email protected]

ABOUT THE GUESTS 
Louis is the CEO of the B4i Project and has been a B-BBEE advisor and strategist for 15 years. He obtained his master’s degree in “Strategic foresight and the development of black entrepreneurs in South Africa” from Regent University (Virginia, USA) in 2016. His thesis, which formed the basis for developing the B4i Empowerment Model, received a top academic award from the University and he was subsequently inducted into the “Who’s Who of students in the USA” in 2017. Louis founded the Foundation (initially registered as a Trust) in 2008 and with his vision and passion for upliftment has enabled the Foundation to distribute millions to disadvantaged communities, women and children.
Yolandi is an executive member of the B4i Project and Managing Director of B-BBEE Specialist company B4i Consult. She is registered as a B-BBEE Professional with the Association of B-BBEE Professionals. Apart from her B-BBEE and law experience, she has a heart devoted to the upliftment of the most vulnerable and sits on the board of numerous Non-Profit Companies, where she is responsible for Corporate Governance and Fund Distribution. She has 10 years’ experience in the fight against human trafficking and has developed the R3egain Programme as part of her passion for the restoration of young women. Her vision is to expand the Foundation to not only have a national but an international footprint.

ABOUT THE PODCAST 

In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream.  And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. 

ABOUT THE HOST

Liezl Colditz van Rooyen
Born and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years on has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster.The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast.

CONTACT METHOD
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