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Shared Interest 18th Annual Awards Dinner Honors South African Finance Minister, Merck

Karen and Phillip Berry recognized for forging partnerships in South Africa

Shared Interest 18th Annual Awards Dinner Honors South African Finance Minister, Merck

Karen and Phillip Berry recognized for forging partnerships in South Africa

Published 04-26-12

Submitted by Merck & Co., Inc.

Shared Interest’s 18th Annual Awards Dinner, held on Monday, April 23 at New York’s Gotham Hall, honored Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan, South African Minister of Finance, for his skill and accomplishments in strengthening South Africa’s economy and moving the country towards stable, equitable growth during the global economic crisis.

Each year, Shared Interest, a leading New York-based nonprofit social investment fund, presents awards to individuals and institutions whose initiatives promote and protect human rights, gender equality, economic justice, and democracy in South Africa. 

Shared Interest presented the 2012 Corporate Award to Merck (known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada) for its commitment to building healthy communities in South Africa. Karen and Phillip Berry, longtime supporters of Shared Interest, were recognized for forging partnerships to expand opportunity in South Africa.

More than 350 distinguished U.S. and African leaders attended this year’s black-tie affair, hosted by award-winning broadcaster and TV journalist Ed Gordon, Host of BET “Weekly with Ed Gordon”. The evening celebration raised funds for Shared Interest to provide black South African entrepreneurs with access to credit and technical support to launch small businesses, create jobs and build secure new communities.

In accepting the award, the South African Finance Minister applauded the commitment of Shared Interest and countless people worldwide in working toward economic justice in South Africa, after the fall of apartheid. “Apartheid attracted all of you…,” said Gordhan. “The legacy of apartheid that you are helping to eradicate today. You are helping to create a South Africa that is able to execute its full potential.”

Merck was recognized for providing treatment, care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS across southern Africa. Merck and Shared Interest have forged a partnership to make it possible for small agricultural business owners to gain access to capital and technical skills and expertise to grow their businesses and create social and economic change.

"The decision to join forces with Shared Interest was an easy one for Merck," said Adam Schechter, president, Global Human Health, Merck.  "We are proud to support their efforts to enable small agricultural business owners to obtain the loans, skills and technical expertise that they need, to boost health and economic empowerment in the critical part of the world."  

New York business leaders Philip and Karen Berry were honored for strengthening partnerships between the U.S. and South Africa that have fostered international collaboration and business and equitable development. “We accept this award, not only for ourselves, but for the thousands who are struggling to build productive lives in South Africa,” said Karen Berry, who is a Shared Interest investor with her husband. “We accept this award as a testament to the work that still must be accomplished to eliminate disparities throughout South Africa.”

The awards dinner highlighted uplifting images and success stories of Shared Interest’s pioneering clients. “Shared Interest recognizes that for all too many black South Africans, apartheid’s legacy continues: a job, a house, the chance to start a business and build economic security for a family and community remain beyond reach,” said Donna Katzin, executive director of Shared Interest, who acknowledged to guests the African National Congress’ 100th anniversary and South Africa’s nearly two-decades long democracy. “Shared Interest works with Thembani International Guarantee Fund to provide these opportunities.” 

Since its founding in 1994, Shared Interest has helped to launch more than 130,000 small and micro-enterprises; build and improve 120,000 homes and create more than 1.8 million jobs. More than 2,080,000 million South Africans -- the vast majority of them women – have benefited from Shared Interest’s guarantee loans.  “And to date, none of our investors has lost a cent of interest or principal,” declared Katzin. 

At the awards dinner, Shared Interest celebrated the launch of the Next Generation Campaign to expand access to capital and capacity development to 500,000 black entrepreneurs, homeowners and workers in South Africa and other Southern African countries.

Guests were treated to a powerful musical performance by soulful jazz singer Somi. This year’s major corporate sponsors are BET International, Destination Southern Africa,  The Nielsen Company, Prudential, Rabin Martin, South African Airways, South African Tourism, Trillium Asset Management LLC, Standard Bank, Bloomberg and Walden Asset Management.  Stanley Bergman, CEO of Henry Schein, was the Visionary Sponsor of the Minister’s Reception.

Sylvia and Byron Lewis, Founder and CEO of UniWorld Group, co-chaired the awards dinner. Honorary chairs were Former Mayor David and Mrs. Joyce Dinkins; South African Consul General and Mrs. George Monyemangene; South African H.E. Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool and Ms. Rosieda Shabodien; and South African H.E. Ambassador and Mrs. Baso Sangqu. 

**NOTE: If your media outlet is interested in official event photos, please contact Shanta Bryant Gyan at shanta@sbgcommunications.com or call (646) 290-8211.

About Shared Interest

Shared Interest is a leading New York-based international social investment fund, mobilizes resources for South Africa’s economically disenfranchised communities to sustain themselves and build an equitable nation. Its $14 million dollar guarantee fund has leveraged credit of more than $95 million to struggling South African communities that were once considered “unbankable.” For more information on Shared Interest, please visit www.sharedinterest.org.

Merck & Co., Inc. Logo

Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co., Inc.

At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on TwitterFacebookInstagramYouTube and LinkedIn.

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