Item 1574 - NMCF Donor Recognition

TRANSCRIPT

Heads and Representatives of Foreign Missions, Members of the business community, Members of the media, Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.

It is such an honor to share this important evening in the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund calendar of events with you. When I started the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, as a quest and way of responding to the needs of the South African child, six years ago, little did I know that one day it would be one of the leading developmental agencies. Your generosity has made this possible.

To succeed we need you, your continued generosity, patriotism and goodwill to help transform this organisation into a world class organisation setting an example on the way society should treat its children. To our overseas donors your continued support to the African child is appreciated.

I am pleased to announce that since the inception of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, we have distributed a total of R98 million. We can now see amazing results such as in Kuruman, Northern Cape, through the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECD) programme. With the help of field workers and ECD Centres, children who cannot attend formal centres receive education in their own huts. Poor mothers and families are herein enabled to stimulate their children and to feed them properly with vegetables grown in community programmes.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is undermining all family and community systems as such the Fund has targeted vulnerable children, in three provinces, eight sites are already at work. Uthungulu and Umkhanyakude, in KwaZulu-Natal, have two sites. In the Limpopo Province three sites are already operational namely, Vhembe, Mopani and Ga Mathabatha. Also at work is the Ehlanzeni site in Mpumalanga, this will be extended to all other provinces. In this current financial year a total of R19 million has been allocated to these communities to ensure that affected children continue with their education, receive proper health care and can play in the streets and be children.

Community structures have now been established to drive this. Over and above this R5,3 million was spent in the last financial year.

My visit to Beautiful Gates in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, during last year's World Aids Day, made me realise, that we still have a long way to go in our fight against HIV/AIDS and the pain that it subjects our children to. Notably ABSA, partnered with us throughout our AIDS awareness campaign raising a total of R1 million through the sales of HIV/AIDS pins.

There is a question of sustaining the Fund beyond our lifetime, and this can be done through a sound endowment policy that will allow the organisation to grow while being self-sustainable. I was pleased to learn that ABSA's support will not only be confined to HIV/AIDS but will be extended to all our programmes. As you say ABSA "and the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund" Today, Tomorrow, Together.

Also to be recognised this evening is BONESA Efficient Lighting Initiative. To date you have raised R1.5 million for the Fund. I thank you for this gracious contribution.

I welcome finally, as the Life Time Founder Member, Enterasys Foundation which has donated in kind computer equipment worth US$5 million which has boosted our leadership and excellence programme. Ladies and gentleman celebrate with me as I award ABSA, BONESA and Enterasys Foundation with the prestigious Life Time Founder Member certificates later this evening as a token of my and the Fund's appreciation of their support.

The President's Club Members awards, to be presented by my Deputy Chairperson, Judge Dikgang Moseneke, take me down memory lane; it was through this that the Fund was born. It was during my years as the President of our beautiful country, that I challenged the business community of South Africa and the world over to join me in contributing an amount equaling my annual salary towards the Fund. You generously and positively acceded to this challenge.

My personal thanks go to: EuropCar who started their relationship with the Fund as far back as 1999.

To UBS Warburg who have been associated with the Fund's London office since 1999, their Johannesburg Office is continuing this relationship. Our thanks go to Jewellers Charity Fund for Children, a US based organisation. Mr Mark Weinberg of the Fund's office in the United States of America will present them with their certificate at a Charitable Gala Dinner to be held on 02 June 2002.

My Chief Executive Officer, Bongi Mkhabela will later in the evening award two New Goodwill Ambassadors their Certificates. The General Electric South Africa Educational Trust which will be working with the Fund to highlight our work in Early Childhood Education and Development. World of Harmony, under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Irene of Spain will be awarded a certificate in absentia. They have pledged their support in raising the profile of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund in Europe. Thank you.

Five young people two in absentia will be introduced to you this evening as our new Youth Ambassadors. While the Fund is doing a brilliant job with children, other issues are best said by peer on peer, especially if those message bearers are recognized as positive role models.

Vuyo Tofile and Sharen David recently represented the Fund in the Antarctica, they will later elaborate. Allan Ford a radio personality in his own right is no new corner to the Fund having initiated the World's Largest Bouquet event hosted by 702 involving the generous South African public in wishing me a speedy recovery sometime last year. Basani Mathye and Lady-Fair Dlamini are beneficiaries of our foreign exchange student programme that we ran in partnership with the American institute for Foreign Study. I welcome you all to the Fund.

Once more I say thank you as I hand over to the Fund's Chief Executive Officer, Bongi Mkhabela. Enjoy the evening and God Bless!