Sasol handed over 80 000 litres of alcohol-based sanitiser to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) yesterday in support of its efforts to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in schools as the country gears to welcome the last intake of learners today.
The sanitiser will be distributed to rural and disadvantaged schools in mostly Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and Eastern Cape provinces which have been identified by Government.
“This donation by Sasol will go a long way in enabling us to maintain the balance between learning and safety,” said Minister of Education, Angie Motshekga.
“When we opened schools with our MECs, we said safety first and for us this donation deals with what we said was a priority. It is safety first and then everything else. So, for us, this donation is highly valued. It is at the heart of what can keep us in or out of schools.”
Since the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic in March, Sasol has pulled all stops to support the DBE’s efforts to ensure that learning continues during the lockdown period.
The Sasol Foundation partnered with DBE in March and Africa Teen Geeks on the STEM Lockdown Digital School initiative to provide free online classes.
More than 250 000 Grade R to 12 learners accessed these online lessons.
With schools now re-opened, Sasol wants to support the Department’s endeavours to ensure the health and safety of learners.
“As a patriotic and proudly South African company, we recognise that we have a duty to step up and partner with Government to meet the needs of our communities,” said Charlotte Mokoena, Executive Vice President: Human Resources and Corporate Affairs.
“We are also aware and appreciative of the challenges placed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the education sector, which have ranged from the loss in academic time, vandalism of infrastructure to health and safety concerns for learners and staff at schools. We are committed to helping where we can and how we can.”
The donation of sanitisers is the second one Sasol is making since the re-opening of schools.
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After developing our own Sasol-blend of alcohol-based sanitiser that is in line with World Health Organisation’s requirements, Sasol in May distributed close to 100 000 litres of alcohol-based sanitiser to schools and early childhood development centres in its host provinces of Mpumalanga and the Free State, as well as to those along its pipeline that stretches from Komatipoort to Carolina.
It also donated to schools and ECD centres in KwaZulu-Natal along Newcastle, Mandeni, Mhlathuze and eThekwini.
“We understand that a meaningful and impactful response is only possible through collaboration. No single entity has the capacity to do it alone,” said Mokoena.
