Canadian Businessman Committed to Rebuilding South Africa One Community at a Time - in Toronto for interviews November 11, 2010

TORONTO, ON., November 10, 2010 – Working with South Africa’s mothers and children while training community leaders to be the guides and mentors for their communities is the core philosophy and driving force behind Canadian-based My Arms Wide Open® (MAWO).  MAWO was founded by South African native, Warren Te Brugge, president of Manzimvula Ventures®, a Canadian management consulting company which operates MAWO. 

“MAWO is actively supporting and collaborating with mothers, children and youth in South Africa, to build sustainable communities and responsible, profitable businesses”, said Te Brugge.  “We’re in this for the long term.  We want to ensure that we have effective skills transfer and continuity and have committed to these people for life.  We don’t want to just teach how; we teach why, so that these individuals can truly create the results they want for themselves, their families and their communities.” As part of this process, MAWO works closely with community leaders like pastors, teachers, nurses, and indigenous practitioners, who are equally important in the rebuilding process.

Te Brugge is in Toronto and available for media interviews on November 11, 2010.

He has funded MAWO with more than $100,000 of his own money to date, has committed to developing and supporting more than 1,000 individuals and families over the next 5 years to establish, run and maintain their own businesses.  He has begun working with 18 people in the rural community of Cradock and is in the process of helping to establish the first businesses, one of which is a furniture manufacturing business.  When not in South Africa, Te Brugge is in daily contact with this group and has promised to support each of them through mentoring and skills transfer.  The goal is that, at the end of a 5-year period, each person or group will then be in a position to own and operate their own profitable and sustainable business.

For more information, www.myarmswideopen.org.   

About My Arms Wide Open® 

The My Arms Wide Open® Foundation was established to provide support and collaboration with mothers, children, and youth in South Africa, enabling them to build sustainable communities and responsible businesses. With stronger families, communities emerge as a solid foundation for society. In the process they re-engage fathers to repair the family unit. My Arms Wide Open® Foundation was established to create a new model of society, based on the power within the cultural diversity and the enduring belief in the persevering nature of South Africans who are truly one nation - a nation and community that celebrates its diversity.

About Manzimvula Ventures

Manzimvula®, from the South African word meaning “place of water”, “new life” was founded in 1998 by Warren T. Te Brugge as a Management Consulting firm providing services to organizations worldwide.

Manzimvula’s purpose is to support organizations that choose to build socially responsible and profitable enterprises to profoundly impact their organizational communities and the individuals they affect in a compassionate and sustainable manner. Manzimvula® collaborates with clients first as individuals then the organization at large, enabling them to build strong and sustainable foundations. This support helps them to capitalize on their uniqueness, strengths and unseen opportunities to create a culture of success.

Manzimvula’s projects include Management Consulting, Project Management, Product Regulatory work, Corporate and Tax Structure, Operational Infrastructure, Technology and Human Capital acquisition in both North America and foreign markets.

"The Manzimvula® Mission is to be the spark that ignites the hearts and minds of Social Entrepreneurs around the World."

Manzimvula® is proud to be designated a Certified B Corporation™. 

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