Mobility for Good: Motus donates vehicles in support of food security during the national lockdown

In the past week, Motus donated a total of 16 vehicles to five different charities across the country through local importer subsidiaries, Hyundai Automotive South Africa and KIA Motors South Africa, with additional donations by Beekman Canopies. The vehicles will be used to feed South Africa during the extended national lockdown.

“As a proudly South African company that strives to deliver mobility for good to all South Africans, the best way in which we can ensure food security is to assist in delivering food to those who need it desperately,” says Osman Arbee, CEO, Motus. “We are leaders in mobility, and it is a privilege to be able to assist these excellent organisations with vehicles, so that their expertise and dedication to support those most vulnerable communities can be expanded.”

GIFT OF THE GIVERS

Thanks to Hyundai Automotive South Africa, Gift of the Givers received two Hyundai H100 light commercial vehicles (‘bakkies’) as well as a Hyundai H-1 Bus. The organisation, started by Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman in 1992 and today considered the largest disaster relief group of African origin, will be using the vehicles to accomplish their mission of providing nutritious food to impoverished children and families.

"Gift of the Givers values the generous contribution,” said Dr. Sooliman. “The three [Hyundai] vehicles couldn't have come at a more opportune time to increase our logistical capability in ferrying medical teams, delivering food and transporting essential medical supplies and protective wear to frontline health care workers, the SA Police Service and the general public in all nine provinces in South Africa, including many deeply rural areas.

FOODFORWARD SA

Simultaneously, Hyundai Automotive South Africa also donated three Hyundai H100 light commercial vehicles (‘bakkies’) and two Grand i10 Cargo panel vans to FoodForward SA. The organisation, established in 2009 to address widespread hunger in South Africa, is working with a range of social partners to feed insecure households through its network of registered beneficiary organisations.

According to FoodForward SA’s Managing Director, Andy du Plessis, more than 30 million people in South Africa lived below the poverty line before the impact of Covid-19, and that millions of people, such as informal traders and day-job seekers, were surviving by earning a daily income. Many small businesses were also struggling to stay afloat; the country was in yet another recession - and then the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

"It is safe to assume that the Covid-19 collision will be severe and far reaching, both in the short and long term,” says Du Plessis. "Creating better access to food for the poor is critical now and in the coming months. FoodForward SA is committed to scaling up so that households in vulnerable communities receive proper food provisions, and we thank all our donors for their generosity and for caring enough to make a difference."

SANZAF

In similar spirit, KIA Motors South Africa donated three KIA K2700 light commercial vehicles and three KIA Picanto STARTs to SANZAF to assist the organisation in delivering food and other welfare support services to vulnerable communities.

A Section 18A Public Benefit Organisation, The South African National Zakah Fund directly invested R27 million in education in the previous financial year. In addition, the organisation also counselled and assisted 28,000 people through their welfare support services. Under normal circumstances, more than 40,000 people benefit from their monthly food programmes.

“It is really heart-warming to receive this generous donation,” says Yasmina Francke, CEO of SANZAF. “These vehicles will go a long way to ease the load for our teams working on the ground, particularly in these difficult times when we are delivering door-to-door and practising social distancing. Having extra vehicles in circulation will definitely help us with our distributions in needy communities.”

Adds SANZAF Chairperson, Fayruz Mohamed: “As a nation we are facing a humanitarian crisis that requires a collective effort from government, the private sector and civil society. This is one of those examples where a company has certainly shown heart by doing amazing work in supporting the efforts required to serve the poor and the needy.”

RADA & ASHRAFUL ULOOM

But it’s not only the large, networked organisations that has benefitted: people are at the heart of every community, so when a crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic arises, it’s the people on the ground that will make a real difference in their community. To this end, KIA Motors South Africa also donated a KIA K2700 light commercial vehicle to the Madrassah Ashraful Uloom in Marlboro, Johannesburg, to assist the organisation in delivering food and other essentials to the community of Alexandra and surrounds, as well as a KIA K2700 light commercial vehicle to RADA to assist the organisation in delivering food and other essentials to their various RADA CARE Homes.

Founded in 1995, the Madrassah is a community-based organisation that provides a broad range of services to the community it serves. This includes operating three Madrassahs (Marlboro, Edenvale, Alexandra) and a children’s home, as well as assisting widows, the poor and the needy. In addition, the Madrassah also supports prison services and education through seminars and workshops.

“On behalf of Ashraful Aid, I would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation for the generous donation from Motus,” says Suhail Wadee. “It is with the support of the business community that our aspirations and ambitions are realised. Our ability to respond timeously during crisis makes all the difference. The K2700 will allow us to continue our response during these challenging times.”

RADA – an acronym for rape, alcohol, drug, abuse – is a registered NPO that takes positive, meaningful and effective action to combat these addictions and atrocities so that the world can become a better, healthier and safer place in which all can prosper. They operate a number of programmes and initiatives, including the “Adopt-a-Home” project that provides assistance to existing homes of safety for abused and abandoned children, people with disabilities, the elderly and the homeless through the provision of food, clothing, bedding, books and other basic necessities. The programme currently supports up to ten different homes around Gauteng.

“It is imperative that Covid-19 does not reach our facilities as the elderly, homeless, children and people with ongoing immune deficiencies who are cared for in these homes are all high-risk individuals,” says John-Paul Nobrega, Founder and CEO of RADA. “Without the assistance of KIA and Motus, we would not be able to deliver the quantities of food and other essentials needed for each home. We truly value the support that allows us to feed the less fortunate and assist us in alleviating the immediate and very desperate needs of communities.”

L'AVENIR FARMING COMMUNITY

Mitsubishi Motors SA has partnered with L’Avenir Wine Estate and the Pebbles Project to assist L’Avenir in keeping the farm worker community safe, healthy and nourished during the national lockdown. The Pebbles Project has been enriching the lives of children and families in the Western Cape Winelands since its inception in 2004, and with the help of Mitsubishi Motors, are delivering special food parcels to 56 adults and children in this period. These families also have access to proper healthcare services through Pebbles Project’s mobile clinics. The food parcels cost R150 each, and will feed a family of four twice a day for seven days.