Say Hello to Enji

“Who or what is Enji?” you might ask… Enji is a very large and important part of the Corporate Social Investment made by the Signarama Group as we head into 2020 celebrating our 20^th Anniversary in Southern Africa. As part of these celebrations, Signarama franchisees elected to donate a portion of our annual CSI budget to the SA Guide Dogs Association.  Each year, the Signarama Group elects a suitable beneficiary for our CSI investment for that year and we are proud to say that our initiatives have created lasting impact on the communities that we serve. Our most recent investment combined the sponsorship of the Association’s annual Golf Day in Cape Town, plus the sponsorship of a Guide Dog from their centre in Johannesburg.

Why the SA Guide Dogs Association…

The Association provides Guide Dogs, Service Dogs, Autism Support Dogs and Orientation and Mobility and through these offerings. It aims to improve the lives of the differently abled, primarily through the aid of trained dogs.  The Association estimates the cost of raising and training a Guide Dog to be in the region of R100,000.  Funded exclusively by private donations, this is an initiative that really touched the Signarama Group for a host of reasons.

We are a business that cares about family, quality of life and the right to live with dignity.  Our franchisees are families in themselves and we have been sensitized to just how difficult it is to live with dignity if you or a member of your family is impacted by disability.  We chose the Association as our initiative, as it would place us in a position to assist a family challenged by disability to lead a normal life through the assistance of a guide dog and at the same time, provide the Association with much needed funds for training, feeding and much more.

And this is Enji…

Enji is a female Labrador, she is one of a litter of 10 puppies born to proud parents Storm and Keno (mom and dad respectively) at the Gladys Evans Training Centre.  Our contribution will assist the SA Guide Dogs Association to raise and train Enji to one day make a difference in someone’s life.

For the next 14 to 16 months, Enji is living with her Puppy Raising family, who will teach her the basics of obedience, how to follow specific cues, how to walk on a leash and ride in a car.  She will also visit different places where she can meet new people to be well socialized and learn to become well behaved in different environments.  She attends Puppy Socialization Classes with her siblings every week at the Training Centre and is reportedly having loads of fun.

Over the next 12 months, as her sponsor, we will meet her, share in her journey and celebrate her accomplishments as a graduate of the Association’s training academy.  And we will share that story with you, our valued customers.  You can look forward to a monthly update on Facebook where we will keep you informed of her progress, and her physical changes as she blossoms into the young lady that will one day be joined to the hip of her handler.

Without you, this would not be possible…

CSI investments are only possible thanks to the kind support of our customers.  We would like to thank you for the support that you have given to the Signarama Group, without which this donation would not have been possible.

Please join us on Facebook and share in Enji’s journey over the coming months. Join our Facebook community to see updates.