iLima is a Xhosa word meaning "communal ploughing back". The Trust aims to live up to its name by ploughing back into government, as well as new small and medium enterprises, the knowledge and skills required to enable sustainable high performance.
The initial focus has been to build capacity in 139 municipalities which were in need of priority attention. The Trust employs selected retiring executives and senior managers of Old Mutual who coach, mentor and train these beneficiaries.
Principally, this initiative translates into developing people who work in the national, provincial and local spheres of government.
In addition, coaching and mentoring is done within community development organisations and emerging micro-enterprises, by developing the required entrepreneurial capacity to start and manage businesses.
Project iLima recorded the following successes during 2007:
- 42 assignments were accepted, and 10 were completed.
- Projects have been undertaken in six provinces, namely Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape, Gauteng.