Small Actions. Big Difference. #brightFutureSA

“There has never been a better moment than the present to protect the planet for future generations” – Paul Polman, Global CEO of Unilever.

Unilever brightFuture launched in South Africa on 01 June 2015. It is a global campaign that demonstrates Unilever’s commitment to create a bright future for all. In South Africa, it aims to focus the public on the challenges facing the world today.

In his call to government, business and NGOs, Unilever Global CEO Paul Polman emphasised the company’s commitment to sustainable business practice, saying, “We don’t just create campaigns for the sake of looking good and ticking CSI boxes. At the core of our business we strive to decouple the company’s growth from its environmental footprint and increase positive social impact. We aim to help more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being as well as enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020.”

The campaign began with a film titled “The Way Kids See It” – capturing the views of children from all over the world, including South Africa, on how to build a brighter future. Children dream of a better world. The future belongs to them, and Unilever believes that if we are to give them the world they want and need, we need to act now.

“At Unilever we believe in creating a bright future for everyone in the world, starting with our children. As one of the top global companies we can’t sit back, watch the world fall apart and still expect to have a thriving business. It is everyone’s responsibility to change the way we do things if we are to create a bright future, and there is no better time to do this than now.” Says Queen Mgobhozi, Unilever Senior Brand Manager.

In June and July Unilever ignited the brightFuture conversation with the country’s most influential citizens – children. After encouraging South Africans to view and share the brightFuture video, “The Way Kids See It” Unilever challenged parents to inspire us with their kids’ world-changing inventions and ideas, offering five bursaries of R10 000 as prizes for the best ideas.

In August, Unilever will showcase and celebrate people that we believe are our future South African leaders. Young men and women who are taking action to create a brightFuture for South Africa. Youth who have chosen to commit their talents and skills to positive change. One of these leaders is Thato Kgatlhanye. She has positively impacted her community and our country and represents the possibility of a brighter future for both South Africa and the world.

A social entrepreneur, Thato saw an opportunity to make a positive impact in her community and now has a thriving business that changes lives. Together with a friend, they invented the Repurpose Schoolbag. Made from recycled plastic, the schoolbag includes a solar panel that charges while kids walk to school and transforms into a study light by night. We believe that honoring and sharing stories such as hers, will serve as inspiration for others.