As the risks and impacts of Covid-19 continue to grow across South Africa, Nedbank has joined forces with World Vision and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to give South African consumers and organisations the opportunity to give vital support and help to at-risk and vulnerable families as well as healthcare frontline workers.
The initiative, known as the Nedbank For Good Project, is a crowdfunding campaign aimed at making it easy for those who have a desire to help during this global crisis to do so simply and securely, and most importantly with the peace of mind that every cent they donate will go directly towards helping those at the frontline of the Covid-19 crisis.
According to Lindiwe Temba, Executive Head of Nedbank Foundation, the Nedbank For Good Project builds on the R14,3 million support that the bank has already given to vulnerable South African families and communities, as well as the bank’s extensive financial relief initiatives for its individual and business clients over the national lockdown period.
‘As South Africa’s infection rate continues to climb, and winter sets in, the need for immediate support of the vulnerable population and protection of healthcare workers is increasing rapidly,’ Temba explains. ‘While many South African people and businesses have a heart to help those in need, few feel they have a trusted and effective way of doing so. Nedbank For Good was created to give these compassionate individuals and organisations a way of channelling every cent of their support right to where it is needed.’
To deliver on this promise in a way that aligns with its purpose to do good for people, families, communities and society, Nedbank has partnered with leading non-governmental organisations World Vision and Doctors Without Borders to manage and distribute food, toiletries, clothing and personal protective items funded by the donations to the Nedbank For Good crowdfunding project.
Initially, this support will focus on providing personal care parcels to vulnerable women, children and families in the six provinces where World Vision has an established presence and distribution network, namely Limpopo, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and the Free State. Depending on the amount of money raised by the Nedbank For Good campaign, this distribution network may later be expanded to cover all provinces. Temba explains that this approach has been chosen to ensure that the essential food, household and personal items needed by these people and families reach them as quickly as possible.
The personal protective equipment bought with the Nedbank For Good project funds, will be distributed by Doctors Without Borders to healthcare workers in the 17 state hospitals designated by government to manage Covid-19 infections across South Africa. ‘Doctors Without Borders already collaborates extensively with these state hospitals and is acutely aware of the immediate protective gear requirements of frontline healthcare workers caring for Covid-19 patients at these facilities,’ Temba says. ‘This established relationship and network will also ensure that these valued frontline carers get the protection they need as quickly as possible.’
Nedbank’s objective of raising money through the crowdfunding campaign is to ensure that all proceeds will go towards helping South Africans to deal with the impacts of, and protect themselves from, Covid-19. ‘We believe that, despite the many challenges our country is facing right now, the spirit of ubuntu is alive and well, and there are a great many people and businesses with a heart for helping others in need,’ Temba says. ‘This is why we are appealing to all South Africans to contribute whatever they can to this crowdfunding project and be a part of a real movement for good.’
The Nedbank For Good Project donation page can be accessed at https://together.nedbank.co.za under the ‘How you can help’ section. Donors can choose to give funding for the support of vulnerable families or healthcare workers, or both, and donations can be made quickly and securely using the Zapper, Masterpass and SnapScan platforms, or via the Nedbank Money app.
‘As money experts who do good, Nedbank is committed to making a positive difference in South Africa by providing real and meaningful support to those in our country who need it most right now,’ Temba says, ‘As a bank that has extensive experience of the power of collaborative partnerships, we recognise that this positive impact will be massively enhanced when everyone who can join hands to give support gets the opportunity to do so. The Nedbank For Good Project is that opportunity, and we call on our fellow South Africans to join us and be the difference that we all want to see in South Africa.’
