Sappi serves communities with donations
Sappi's work in Umkomaas and surrounding areas doesn't stop there.
On an annual basis, Sappi Southern Africa encourages its staff to #ServeLikeMadiba on Mandela Day, but because of the stricter Covid-19 regulations at the time, and the unrest that followed, the project was delayed.
Nonetheless, the company was able to keep to their word and were able to serve communities throughout the country since the beginning of August.
“Our employees soldiered on collecting and donating generously in a spirit of giving, with the company matching these contributions,” explained Zelda Schwalbach, Communication Manager: KwaZulu-Natal Forests.
In KZN, several of Sappi’s neighbouring forestry communities in the Midlands supplied essential nutritional porridge packs. An example of this is Sappi Forests joint operation with Savithi Trading Company where 1500kg of porridge was successfully distributed to community members in need.
In the communities of Umkomaas, Mandeni and Stanger, surrounding the mills, employees contributed towards securing foodstuff to be distributed in the form of food parcels via local non-profitable organisations to people who had been affected with food shortages and who were finding difficulties in getting food because of the unrest causing many shops to close its doors as well as a disruption of supply chains.
Sappi’s work in Umkomaas and surrounding areas doesn’t stop there.
The Place of Safety, Faith & Hope, Khanya Hospice, the South Coast Community Care Centre and Ukhamba Drop-off Centre will receive donations of at least a 100 food parcels, while seven early childhood development centres will receive sanitisers, masks and soap.
Mpho Lethoko, Sappi Southern Africa Communications General Manager, commented on the #ServeLikeMadiba project and commended all those involved.
“We have long encouraged our employees to take action and serve their communities and to inspire change,” she said.
“We are always immensely proud of the way in which they stand together and embody the spirit of Madiba, and that they have managed to do it again despite the challenges there were this year.”
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