Peresys assists The DNA Project with awareness, exposure – and a R260 000 donation

2 December 2008

Peresys, the technology solutions enabler for the financial markets, and the Mike Thomson Change a Life Trust, established by Computershare SA, recently donated over R260 000 to The DNA Project, a Section 21 company committed to developing South Africa’s criminal DNA profiling by expanding the national DNA database.

The donations came from the Peresys Golf Day, held at Wanderers and hosted by well-known sports presenter and radio personality, Graeme Joffe. Top clients were invited to participate by entering four-balls and by making the most of available sponsorship, prizes and branding opportunities. And, with Computershare having generously pledged to match, Rand for Rand, the amount raised for The DNA Project on the day, Peresys was able to hand over a sizeable cheque – with the potential to make a real difference.

Peresys’ CSI initiative was established to make a meaningful contribution to all South Africans' right to a better life. In conjunction with clients and via partnerships with specialist charity organisations, Peresys directs its efforts and funds towards projects or initiatives with the potential to make a lasting difference to tackling what Peresys sees as our chief cause of stress, negative sentiment and even emigration; namely, crime.

So why The DNA Project, as a social investment for Peresys? According to CEO, Ashley Mendelowitz, “The multi-faceted benefits of this project and its potential to make a sustainable difference are what appeal to us. We are a technology company, so the hi-tech and database angle is compelling. Then, our CSI philosophy is to promote South Africans’ right to a better life, and what better way to do that than by targeting crime? In addition, this project also indirectly tackles education, job creation, more progressive legislation and better policing, not to mention the ‘brain drain’, to which our industry is not immune.”

Clearly, there is great synergy between Peresys and The DNA Project – so much so that the company has made a long-term commitment to carry its support of the endeavour as far as possible; at least, until out-dated existing legislation changes significantly.

Says Mendelowitz, “Assistance is necessary because DNA profiling in this country is so limited – despite being the global gold standard for 21st century criminal investigation. A mix of factors, like archaic laws, insufficient equipment, limited funding, embargoes on processing crime stains and profiles, inadequate lab capacity and information systems, and even a general lack of police training and critical public awareness, all play a part in impeding our ability to win the war against crime.”

And for Peresys, a company proud of its track record and capacity to create ‘connected trading communities’, both the fund-raising event and the project itself have been a perfect fit: achieving connections with clients and making possible a closer connection between technology, justice and the right of all South Africans to live a better life.