Cape Town - As Day Zero hit residents in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers has stepped in to assist and this time they got some much needed help.
Sunfoil gifted R5 million worth of urgent water relief to Gift of the Givers to assist residents hit by this crisis.
Earlier this week, Gift of the Givers sent teams to start drilling boreholes and it was because of this that Sunfoil made a commitment to provide financial assistance.
“The speed, commitment and passion of both parties to provide help where it is desperately needed is a wonderful testament to the values of the Willowton Group and underscores the generosity that we South Africans have at our core,” said Gift of the Givers founder, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman.
The NMBM has been going through a severe drought for the past seven years and its dam levels are at 12%.
Hundreds of townships, suburbs and metro areas are in desperate need of water.
“Our hearts go out to the communities in the Eastern Cape who are affected by this dire water shortage. As a brand at the heart of these communities, Sunfoil has partnered with the aid organisation Gift of the Givers to bring urgent relief and hope to the Gqeberha area.
“Our donation is enabling Gift of the Givers to bring in the equipment and manpower needed to drill boreholes for various communities, so that lives and livelihoods can be saved,” said Mohamed Ishfaaq Moosa, operations executive of Willowton Group, the makers of Sunfoil.
Moosa also called on other market-leading companies to assist.
“Sunfoil and Gift of the Givers encourages other great South African brands to rally behind this initiative to serve these stricken communities, and in a small but tangible way, repay the loyalty and support they have enjoyed in the past,” he said.
Sunfoil chose to partner with Gift of the Givers because of its local and international experience in assisting drought stricken communities.
Water drilling equipment is currently being transported to Gqeberha from other parts of the country so that Gift of the Givers can start pumping water across the Nelson Mandela Bay area as a matter of urgency.
“We are very thankful that we are able to work with Gift of the Givers’ excellent team to provide lasting water solutions for the Gqeberha community,” Moosa added.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
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