East London. Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) deployed a disaster response team, with the support of the Gift of the Givers’ Foundation to assist victims of the recent flash floods in East London. Humanitarian aid valued at R800 000 has been provided to various beneficiaries from affected families residing in Mdantsane and Duncan Village, East London.
Commenting on this donation, MBSA CEO and Executive Director of Manufacturing Operations, Andreas Engling said: “At Mercedes-Benz South Africa we don’t only build cars, we build communities too. We cannot understate how our relevance extends beyond the products we manufacture – we remain an integral part of the lives of the people of East London. It has been a difficult time for our communities due to the recent flash floods and we would be remiss as a company to ignore the devastation. In the spirit of Ubuntu, we have collaborated with the Gift of the Givers to assist with the clean-up operations as well as to provide much needed relief to affected families.”
Education and community upliftment are core pillars of MBSA’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) portfolio. As such, it is MBSA’s corporate responsibility to provide support to ensure the continuation of learning, regardless of the interruptions caused by the floods. Approximately 387 learners from Mdantsane and Duncan Village received hygiene packs, school uniforms, school shoes and essential stationery suppliers. Furthermore, 1400 food parcels were distributed to the families of the identified learners as well as other families in the Mdantsane and Duncan village areas. These donated food parcels, inclusive of staple foods and non-perishables, are valued at over R500 000.
Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, Founder of the Gift of the Givers said: “The recent floods in Mdantsane, East London, were a source of deep anguish for the community as the disaster occurred on the “eve” of the new school year. New Year symbolises hope, fresh beginnings and positivity but these children suffered immense emotional distress witnessing their clothing, school uniforms and stationery wash away in the raging flood waters. Purchasing them at the outset was a huge financial challenge, purchasing for the second time, impossible. Gift of the Givers could make a decisive intervention for it has a caring, reliable, community oriented partner in Mercedes-Benz SA who without hesitation came to the rescue contributing R800k towards the immediate purchase of stationery, uniforms and even food parcels for the affected families bringing renewed hope to a community that had no financial reserves to replace all that what was destroyed.”
