CFO Aneshree Naidoo has two signatures. One moves markets. The other moved a boy to write: Smiles so bright, they can destroy the darkness. She uses both daily.
Webber Wentzel CFO Aneshree Naidoo’s journey as a philanthropist began when she was just 12-years-old.
Her school holidays were unique to say the least. Being born and raised in the heart of northern KwaZulu-Natal, Aneshree did not spend her school vacations on the sandy beaches of the east coast, as is the norm for many children in KZN.
In fact, two of her close relatives worked as child-care mothers in local orphanages and young Aneshree would spend school holidays visiting the two ladies. “I used to go to the Aryan Benevolent Home for Children. I always knew that these set ups existed and that the children did not have parents present. So I understood what orphanage meant at a very young age,” explains Aneshree.
“I would feel first-hand for those kids who were at the homes during the school holidays because they didn’t have anywhere to go; no one was waiting for them.”
This rather unusual holiday ritual led to the deeply ingrained humanitarian practices Aneshree embodies today.
As part of her personal efforts to give back to society Aneshree works closely with St Theresa’s Children’s Home in Sydenham, Durban. Her work doesn’t only involve financial assistance, she donates a significant amount of time during site visits, interacting with the children and to touch base with their caregivers to get a greater sense of their needs.
A safe space
As a standard practice, Aneshree’s family have been adapting special family days and events as opportunities to give back.
“It started when my grandparents passed away 25-years-ago. Instead of having many big memorial events, we extended smaller family gatherings by serving meals at the old-age Day Care Centre in Verulam,” explains Aneshree.
Recently, Aneshree hosted her daughter’s sixth birthday at the St Theresa’s Children’s Home for boys in Sydenham in Durban.
CFO South Africa met Aneshree at the same orphanage one Monday afternoon. Situated in the heart of Sydenham’s bustling business district, St Theresa’s is home to 63 young boys who’ve been placed in the facility via the courts.
The boys live on the property, but they’re enrolled in various schools in close proximity to the orphanage. “We have a school on the premises, but we also like to enrol most of the older boys in other schools so that they are not labelled as boys from the orphanage,” explained St Theresa’s Director Sandy Naicker who chaperoned our visit through the children’s living quarters, playgrounds and classrooms.
Schools had just ended for the day, and small groups of boys had begun to arrive home. They greeted us warmly and were clearly delighted by the impromptu visit from Aneshree, affectionately known as “Aunty Ann”.
Touching base
They immediately followed up with queries about her six-year-old daughter who was visibly absent this time around.
“Last year was really special because we hosted my daughter’s sixth birthday party here,” Aneshree explained. “It was a lovely event. We invited our extended family to join us here and it was a memorable experience for the entire family and the boys,” she said.
The birthday celebration also made a lasting impact on Aneshree’s daughter, who noted rather sombrely that the children had no toys in their rooms, just beds.
“It stayed with her even when we went home. We talked to her about it and explained that they have a bed to sleep on and shared fewer toys than she is lucky to enjoy. And she said she doesn’t need anything more because that's all the boys had and they were fine. So that was very distinct for me.”
While taking the time to touch base with the children, Aneshree simultaneously ran a watchful eye over their living conditions, noting that the computer room was too warm and in desperate need of an air conditioner.
Her husband, an IT specialist, confirmed her diagnosis and the couple made a note to drum up funds from benefactors to purchase an aircon once our day visit had been concluded.
Her husband says that Aneshree’s humanitarian side was evident in the early stages of their relationship.
Giving back
“One of our very first dates was at the Aryan Benevolent Home for Children. We started interacting with the children then. It's fulfilling to make sure Aneshree has the support she needs from my side and it's gratifying to be able to give something back.”
Aneshree didn’t stop at the computer lab. She also walked through the cottages and chatted with the housemothers, asking questions about how the children were faring and what they needed.
Then it was time for lunch and a show. Before tucking into a delicious meal sponsored by Aneshree, the children performed a series of dances and songs as a way of saying thank you.
One child even wrote her a poem titled: The kindness of donors
When donors come to donate, they donate with peace and love
They bring delicious food to eat, so delicious food it makes us go to sleep We greet the donors with kindness and fondness
With smiles so bright, it can destroy the darkness
We thank you for coming to donate and hopefully we meet again soon.
During lunch hour, many children lined up to chat with Aneshree. Some of the older boys sought career advice, guidance and introductions into various industries while others just seemingly wanted conversation with a maternal figure.
“I was so surprised to see Aunty Ann here today!” said a 10-year-old boy. “I hope she comes again with her family, we really enjoyed ourselves and she comes with the most delicious food,” he added.
All about gratitude
“I have known Aunty Ann since last year,” said another 15-year-old boy. “When I first saw her, I thought she was a kind woman, and my thinking was true. She became a big part of my life, that’s why I wrote a poem about her,” he added.
Another child said Aunty Ann motivates him even when she is not present.
“She made a big impact on us, just spending time with us, getting to know us. She told me to never give up on myself, I think about what she said often,” said one 13-year-old.
“I want to be a marine biologist one day and Aunty Ann told me to focus on my studies and to not give up.”
When asked about a specific time Aneshree’s humanitarian efforts and network really paid off, the St Theresa’s Director replied that it was during the KZN riots in July 2021.
“We were helpless and stuck inside these walls. It was a really frightening time and we could not go out,” recalled Sandy. “She donated funds to us and we were able to buy food supplies to feed 72 children that night,” Sandy added.
When asked if Aneshree had any long-term success stories to share, she recalled meeting a teenager at one of the homes she visited. “He had exposure to my dad, who is also in finance and admin, and myself. Every visit, he would ask my dad and I for career advice and he ended up securing a tertiary bursary for himself and went on to complete a finance and admin diploma, got married, had kids and moved to Gauteng where he teaches finance to kids. The gift that keeps on giving. It’s not only about the bold stories…it's about impact and longevity.”
Aneshree also remains cognisant and grateful of the fact that her community work has been embraced by every employer she has worked for. Aneshree and her teams have always taken up various responsibility initiatives from a corporate perspective. These include visits to frail care centres, the SPCA and orphanages and enabling donations to these organisations.
