Consistent funding from Anglo American’s dedicated Corporate Social Investment (CSI) arm, the Chairman’s Fund, towards the Ubuntu Education Fund, is helping to create a significant and tangible difference to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in the townships of Port Elizabeth.
Consistent funding from Anglo American’s dedicated Corporate Social Investment (CSI) arm, the Chairman’s Fund, towards the Ubuntu Education Fund, is helping to create a significant and tangible difference to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in the townships of Port Elizabeth.
Over the past three years, the Chairman’s Fund has granted some R600,000 towards the Ubuntu Education Fund, which has allowed the organisation to enhance and expand its programmes related to HIV/AIDS prevention and HIV and AIDS counselling and testing.
These community education programmes focus on behavioural modification related to HIV/AIDS, issues including preventing sexually transmitted and opportunistic infections, family planning, and caring for orphans and vulnerable children.
Gcobani Zonke, president of the Ubuntu Education Fund, notes that the Chairman’s Fund support has proved crucial to helping the organisation fulfil its objectives.
“The progress that the Ubuntu Education Fund has made - would not have been possible without the dedicated support of the Chairman’s Fund. Owing to the Fund’s grant and consistent hands on involvement in our organisation, we are far better equipped to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS in Port Elizabeth, and improve the lives of children in this region directly affected by the disease.”
Zonke adds that the grant will also enable the organisation to provide medical services for children and their HIV-infected caregivers.
In addition to the current three year donation, the Chairman’s Fund also granted R300,000 towards the Ubuntu Education Fund’s HIV/AIDS outreach programme in 2009.
Chairman’s Fund Chairperson, Norman Mbazima, concludes that the effective results of the Ubuntu Education Fund align with Anglo American’s overall objectives.
“The Chairman’s Fund’s is committed to supporting initiatives that help effect a real change in the health of communities. In particular, we endeavour to fund programmes that are focused on improving the capacity of communities to combat HIV/AIDS.
“Undoubtedly, our partnership with Ubuntu Education Fund is achieving this goal, by effectively ensuring that HIV/AIDS-related deaths, as well as the stigma associated with the disease, are considerably reduced within the Port Elizabeth community.”
Ends
For further information, please contact:
South Africa
Hulisani Rasivhaga, Media Relations
Tel: +27 (0)11 638 4401
Notes to editors:
Anglo American is one of the world’s largest mining companies, is headquartered in the UK and listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges. Anglo American’s portfolio of mining businesses spans bulk commodities – iron ore and manganese, metallurgical coal and thermal coal; base metals – copper and nickel; and precious metals and minerals – in which it is a global leader in both platinum and diamonds. Anglo American is committed to the highest standards of safety and responsibility across all its businesses and geographies and to making a sustainable difference in the development of the communities around its operations. The company’s mining operations, extensive pipeline of growth projects and exploration activities span southern Africa, South America, Australia, North America, Asia and Europe. www.angloamerican.com
About Anglo American’s Chairman’s Fund
The Chairman’s Fund is one of the dedicated instruments through which Anglo American channels its corporate social investment (CSI) spend, and is the oldest professionally managed CSI programme in South Africa. The Fund is renowned for best practice within the CSI arena, and supports a highly diverse range of projects from the smallest to the largest among different social development sectors countrywide.