Volkswagen SA reaches out to NGOs and schools during virus crisis

Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) has made several big donations to schools and NGOs in Nelson Mandela Bay to help alleviate the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on communities.

Through its Volkswagen Community Trust, the company donated a total of R340,000 to organisations Masifunde, United Through Sport, Ubomi Obutsha Centre and the Thand’usana Babies Centre at the end of May.

The donations will be used to supply food and vouchers to about 350 needy families, as well as funding to care for abandoned babies at Thand’usana.

The Community Trust also provided 50,000 meals to Mngcunube Primary School, Noninzi Luzipho Primary, Ntlemeza Primary, Vuba Primary and James Ntungwana Primary, all in KwaNovuhle.

In an effort to relieve the impact of #Covid19 on local communities, the Volkswagen Community Trust has donated R340 000 in support of @NMandelaBay NGOs.
Food parcels and face masks have also been supplied to 5 KwaNobuhle schools.
Get the full details – https://t.co/hQJiFAFslL. pic.twitter.com/G7XuON0NaO
— VWSAnews (@VWSAnews) June 3, 2020

The Community Trust had worked closely with these schools in the past by establishing literacy centres at the schools.

Meals packed by Rise Against Hunger were given to the parents of Grade R pupils at these schools.The schools also received 5,000 face masks to be provided to the parents of pupils. The masks were manufactured by the Greater Uitenhage Sewing Cooperative (Gusco), a Uitenhage organisation that partnered with VWSA during the crisis to manufacture thousands of fabric masks.

The handover formed part of VWSA’s ongoing efforts to help combat the virus in the metro. The company has been working closely with the government, Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber and other businesses to help shore up medical care in the city.

Efforts include a donation of 150 beds to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium’s isolation facility, the local manufacture of face masks in partnership with Gusco and the huge project of converting the company’s plant in Port Elizabeth into an overflow facility for Covid-19 patients.

Thank you for mentioning the work being done by @VolkswagenSA in the Eastern Cape Mr President @CyrilRamaphosa. Our PE Plant facility will be turned into a temporary medical facility which can house up to 4 000 beds for Covid-19 patients. #VWforGood
— Madikizela (@Siya_Madiks) May 24, 2020

“VWSA is part of the greater community of Nelson Mandela Bay. The plight caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to our community is also our plight,” says VWSA chairman and MD Thomas Schaefer.

“We have a responsibility to help our community where we can, whether it is through feeding hungry families or strengthening the medical care available in the metro.

“It is a responsibility that we have taken to heart, and we remain committed to the continuous, coordinated fight against Covid-19.”