Fish for all: Orion Organisation receives a generous donation of fish

Supporting needy organisations in Atlantis is a central goal for Atlantis Seafood Products. We are committed to helping and supporting the community where our employees live. Orion is dedicated to creating a future for people with disabilities in Atlantis by providing professional therapeutic and development services.

Gerrit Matthyse, the CEO of Orion explains, “The organisation is dedicated to caring and providing for the educational, training and therapeutic needs of children, youth and adults living with physical, mental, intellectual and neurological disabilities. Although we have a business centre with a dozen contracts with some major retailers who pay us to do work for them, the income generates only about 30% of the overhead costs, so we are incredibly grateful for these donations,” he says. 

Veronica Pronk, the Marketing and Fund-Raising Manager, says, “Our nurturing, caring and skill development of people with disabilities is handled across our organisation through a variety of residential and day facilities, various structured programmes such as Orion Children’s Day Care Centre, Art Centre, Business Development and a fun Sport & Recreation unit.”

Gerrit and Veronica were overjoyed at the R31 000 worth of frozen hake fillets donated by Atlantis Seafood Products. This will help feed the 80 residents and 23 children in day care for 10 months, where over 170 nutritious meals are served three times per day. Atlantis Seafood Products had also donated R10 000 in cash which was used to purchase a new printer for the admin office. 

In their Art Therapy class, budding artists-to-be learn from a system developed by renowned artist, Richard Scott. The aim is to train them in both art and business studies, so they have a chance of a sustainable career. They are currently working on their pieces for the upcoming art auction in September 2021. 

Their Children’s Day Care Centre caters for children with special needs and can accommodate up to 30 children from as young as three months with various disabilities.  “Currently we have three fully functional classrooms, accommodating 30 children with various disabilities. Our children are cared for daily from 08h00 to 15h30 and all receive a hearty breakfast and nourishing lunch as well as an afternoon snack before being taken back home by our special transport vehicles,” explained Veronica.

Atlantis Seafood Products is the largest 100% black-owned frozen seafood production factory in South Africa. The factory handles, packages and processes a large variety of seafood products, including hake, line fish, molluscs, crustaceans, various whole fish and a selection of speciality seafoods. .

The factory is wholly owned by the Atlantis Seafood Products Employee Empowerment Trust, the majority of owners being black women from Atlantis. As these women are often the only breadwinners for their extended families, the Trust is responsible for a far greater number of people in the community than just their employees.