CTICC and Call 2 Care join forces to champion a transformative initiative for a wheelchair-accessible garden

Cape Town – 18 December 2023 – Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) staff members, in collaboration with our local community partner, Call 2 Care, took the lead in a transformative initiative. They enthusiastically rolled up their sleeves to construct plant boxes, thereby creating a wheelchair-accessible garden.

Call 2 Care, a non-profit organisation, aligns with CTICC’s vision by supporting a range of CSR projects aimed at enhancing the health and nutrition of the communities they serve. Annually, Call 2 Care feeds up to 375 individuals through community gardens.

The CTICC staff’s hands-on approach to constructing planter boxes for The Village Work Centre, a work centre for individuals with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, is a testament to their commitment to social responsibility. This initiative not only transforms physical spaces.

The CTICC is a supporter of the Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) initiative. The NZCE initiative aims to minimize and offset the carbon footprint of events, striving for little to no net carbon emissions. This involves adopting sustainable practices across the event lifecycle, from planning to execution and post-event activities. Key strategies include using renewable energy, implementing energy efficiency measures, reducing waste, and supporting carbon offset projects. The initiative emphasizes a holistic approach to minimize environmental impact and contribute to broader sustainability goals in the events industry.

CTICC stands as a beacon of sustainability. Their involvement in the construction of planter boxes is in line with the NZCE initiative roadmap for the events industry. One of the many priorities of the NZCE initiative roadmap involves sustainable food sourcing. The garden project, emerging as a symbol of environmental responsibility, seeks to provide workers with access to locally grown vegetables at their doorstep, thus minimizing the need to travel long distances to source food.

Ms Bilqees Darries, Centre Manager of The Village Work Centre, acknowledges CTICC’s key role in this initiative. She highlights that the majority of individuals attending the Centre come from underprivileged backgrounds and will benefit significantly, receiving at least one nutritious meal per day.

Ms Darries expresses, “By implementing the garden beds, the CTICC has become a catalyst for change. This initiative not only teaches the workers healthy eating habits, upskills them, and provides therapeutic stimulation but also empowers them to turn their newfound gardening skills into a marketable business. CTICC is not just reducing carbon emissions; they are sowing the seeds of transformation and empowerment.”

Taubie Motlhabane, the CEO of CTICC, says, “At the CTICC, we focus on a number of sustainability components, including: people, planet, purpose and impact. Our approach to sustainability is not only related to a sustainable natural environment, but to social as well as economic sustainabilty. This is what drives the CTICC’s Corporate Social Responsibility Programme.”

For more information on Call 2 Care visit: https://www.call2care.org.za/

Issued by: Media Office, Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)
Note to Editor: To organise a media interview, source images or find out more about CTICC, please contact: media@cticc.wowfingers.com, +27(0) 21 410 5000

Ends