Portal:Social entrepreneurship/Case Studies/more/Heartbeat

Heartbeat is a non-governmental organisation that has etended its hand to nearly 5 000 orphaned and vulnerable children in various South African Communities. It involves the community in raising and supporting these children.

In 2006, Hartbeat had 105 full-time employees and 500 volunteers who extended this concept of community intervention from the first site in Carltonville, south-west of Johannesburg, to 16 further sites in seven of South Africa's provinces.

The organisation also helps orphans to access social services and schooling, ensures that they have access to medical care and provides regular food parcels. (SouthAfrica.info, 12 May 2009)

Sunette Pienaar, founder of Heartbeat won the award of Africa's "Social Entrepreneur 2006" from the Schwab Foundation.

Visit their website: Heartbeat