top of page
ABOUT US
![]about us 2.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/63e9bf_0c89ac89e42048018b2cc6cb06afedca~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_349,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/63e9bf_0c89ac89e42048018b2cc6cb06afedca~mv2.jpg)
The Invest in Dignity® Foundation is a foward- thinking non-profit company that empowers hundreds of families in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province to earn sustainable livelihoods through the circular economy.
Women are remunerated to collect, sort and grade clean waste for recycling into various products including drawstring refuse bags, enabling them to feed, clothe and educate their families in the process. Others are being upskilled in the sewing of reusable shopper bags made out of recycled PET.
To date, the Invest in Dignity® Foundation has made a sizable impact in creating an enabling environment for women from disadvantaged backgrounds to earn a dignified living as self-employed “green entrepreneurs”. Many have also been empowered to form their own micro-enterprises in the recycling economy, paying it forward by employing others.
“Don’t undermine the work we do, because it’s worth it.
Other women should try it –they will see.” – ‘
‘Mama’ Jabu Dlamini
How it works.
Our mission:
seeing the SDGs in action
The Invest in Dignity® Foundation is committed to being an agent for social justice, sustainable development and economic equality in South Africa by empowering marginalised communities while caring for the planet.
We aim to harness the circular economy to:
• Alleviate poverty
• Create employment opportunities
• Protect the environment
• Grow aspirations
The foundation’s purpose is anchored in its desire to help achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its programmes and initiatives, specifically:
Our origins: from bold idea to recycling movement
The Invest in Dignity® Foundation was born out of a long-held desire by social entrepreneurs Mike and Thina Maziya – the husband-and-wife team behind Verigreen.. Says foundation head Thina Maziya,
“As our company grew, we wanted to give back to the communities we come from, especially to women who are largely illiterate and unskilled because of the inequalities of the past that still persist.
“Many women are stuck in a situation where, with no marketable skills, it’s really hard to educate their kids and feed their families. It’s a cycle of poverty that it’s difficult to extract themselves from. We’ve had first-hand experience with these challenges and we wanted to be part of the solution.”
One day in 2012, Mike Maziya came across a woman carrying a bundle of plastic waste on her head. When questioned, the woman explained that she needed to collect and sell recyclable material to feed her family. Touched by her story, Mike told Thina and together they came up with an idea for a social enterprise – a skills development and recycling project that would later mushroom into the life-changing Invest in Dignity® Foundation.
Today, the Invest in Dignity® Foundation is formally registered as a non-profit company (NPC number: 2022/ 531759 / 08) – and it has already changed countless lives for the better. Gaining a momentum of its own, it has evolved way beyond a passion project and a corporate social investment exercise.
Today, it has the makings of a fully fledged national movement – a movement for positive social, economic and environmental change. Would you like to be part of this movement? Email us at info@investindignity.com or visit our Donate page to Invest in Dignity!
bottom of page