Page 21 - 100 years of Anglo American

Mould Empower Serve in Hillbrow is a beacon of light in a troubled community that cares for 130 children

arts. Our support is guided by our desire to
partner for best effect in everything we do,
whether it be mining activities, social causes or
cultural initiatives.”
Anglo American is also involved in the lives
of the city’s residents in other ways. Three
blocks away from the gallery lies Claim Street
in Hillbrow, home to the headquarters of
Mould Empower Serve (MES), an organisation
that offers financial and social support to poor
and homeless people in the area.
The Anglo American Chairman’s Fund began
assisting MES in 1996, when it helped acquire
one of its first buildings for a training centre.
MES started as a feeding scheme, but now acts
as a halfway house, allowing people to stay
there as long as they can prove they are
working towards becoming self-sufficient.
The organisation’s services include social
workers, who help residents come up with
plans on how to rebuild their lives, and a day-
care centre that looks after 130 children. The
project also builds relationships with inner-city
Anglo American’s Johannesburg headquarters at 44 Main Street landlords and helps refurbish dilapidated
buildings in the area.
The trust acquires prominent works by support for the anti-apartheid movement. The Anglo American Chairman’s Fund has
South African artists and brings them to the However, the collection was only exhibited once also supported the Witkoppen Health and
Johannesburg Art Gallery. before being locked away in storage. Welfare centre, about 30km north of the inner
Currently on show at the gallery is an Ngcobo says it was important to bring the city, which began in the 1960s as a clinic for
exhibition titled A Labour of Love. Curator collection home so South Africans could see it. farm workers on land donated by then
Gabi Ngcobo describes the exhibition of work Murray says: “We are very proud of our chairperson Hank Slack.
of South African artists produced in the 1980s partnership with the Johannesburg Art Gallery. Today, it provides residents of informal
as an important one. The collection of about Through the work of the Anglo American settlements such as Diepsloot with services
150 works was acquired from the Weltkulturen Centenary Trust we have realised immense that include an emergency room, HIV
Museum in Frankfurt, Germany. They were value from supporting the gallery and its treatment, laboratory services and, with
used at the time to raise awareness about the initiatives over the years, a value which reflects additional funding from the Anglo American
apartheid regime in South Africa and raise a real partnership between business and the Chairman’s Fund, a dentist.
ANGLO AMERICAN 100 YEARS 21