A R1.5-million donation from edible oil processor and consumer goods heavyweight Willowton Group promises to be a significant boost in the fight against the second wave of COVID-19 in South Africa.
Speaking at the presentation at the Pietermaritzburg head office of the Gift of the Givers recently, Willowton Group CSR manager Ismat Mahomed said that the donation would be used to purchase urgently needed High-Flow Nasal Oxygen (HFNO) machines.
These oxygen delivery systems are life savers for many Covid-19 patients and are the most sought out device for critical intervention.
“They have the capacity to deliver between 60L to 100L oxygen per minute in emergency settings equipped with bulk oxygen tanks,” he said, adding that the donation would allow the charity to purchase 20 of these machines with consumables for urgent placement in hospitals.
Dr Imtiaz Sooliman from The Gift of the Givers thanked the Willowton Group for its support during the pandemic. This donation follows another of critically needed PPE for volunteers working in the Eastern Cape in December.
Mahomed praised the Gift of the Givers for the work that the organisation had done and would continue to do to help manage the pandemic so far, noting that they played a critical role in helping South Africans as the second wave of infections challenged healthcare workers and hospitals across the country.
“It is one of the best charitable organisations in world. They identify a need, find the equipment and go without invitation,” he said.
Willowton Group CEO Zubeir Moosa said the company was proud to be able to reach out whenever there was a need during the pandemic. “We have offered financial assistance to businesses through the Giving For Hope Foundation. Muslims for Humanity was created to help the poor with food parcels during this difficult time and significant amount of soap bars were donated to schools around South Africa in partnership with Pick n Pay. This fits in with our philosophy of reaching out to those in need.”
