THE morning of the conclusion of Mandela Month witnessed a brand which recently celebrated 100 years globally extend its one-year partnership with one which recently realized its 30th anniversary when the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa donated a fleet of 19 vehicles to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF) to bolstering the Fund’s countrywide community outreach programmes – at the Fund’s offices in Saxonwold.
Along with the NMCF’s executives, viz, CEO Dr Linda Ncube-Nkomo and trustee Mpho Makwana, as well as Ford Motor Company Africa’s president Neale Hill – a gathering of several stakeholders and members of the media corps were on hand to witness the vehicle manufacturer practically demonstrate its global purpose “to help build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams”, by handing over four Transits, 13 Tourneos, and two locally assembled Rangers which it’ll provide to the Fund for a period of three years, with full ownership transferred as a donation at the end of that term.
A collaboration intended to support the NMCF’s health, safety and operational programmes across the country, it also commemorated the Fund’s three decades of championing children’s rights and transforming lives throughout South Africa and the region.
Carefully allocated and, where required, tailored to support the Fund’s operational needs which include its fieldwork, mobile services, and community outreach throughout South Africa – the vehicles will come with specialised modifications (such as mobile clinics, mobile workshops, and delivery facilities) designed to help the Fund deliver services more effectively and reach communities with greater ease and impact.
Additionally, vehicle support will be provided through various programmes, with vehicles allocated based on the Fund’s projects’ specific focus areas and mobility requirements.
A news media release prepared for the event lists the Fund’s offshoot, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital – which was established to close the gap in paediatric healthcare in Gauteng – as one of the beneficiaries of the vehicles allocation in the form of a dedicated Tourneo intended to be utilized for operational support.
The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund’s CEO, Dr Linda Ncube-Nkomo outlined a list of the Fund’s programmes ranging from child survival, child safety and protection, to sustainable livelihoods – as initiatives which Ford’s operational support would go a long way towards enabling.
Like a grateful hostess, Ncube-Nkomo beamed: “We are excited about the collaboration with Ford.
The vehicles will enable us to reach the remote parts of the country where the most vulnerable children are likely to be found. It is collaborations like these with the private sectors that will enable us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and the families from which they come.”
Ford Motor Company Africa’s president Neale Hill, referred to the vehicles as enablers which would assist the Fund reach more communities, more effectively, and with greater impact.
Mentioning the two Rangers comprising part of the fleet and intended to support programme delivery and operational mobility as having been proudly built at the Silverton Assembly Plant, Hill continued by quoting Ford Motor Company’s Executive Chair, Bill Ford thus: “I believe the distinction between a good company and a great one is this: A good company delivers excellent products and services; a great one delivers excellent products and services and strives to make the world a better place.”
Those words echo the enduring wisdom of Madiba, who reminded us: “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.”
Image Jacob MAWELA (Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund CEO, Dr Linda Ncube-Nkomo and Ford Motor Company Africa President, Neale Hill at donation ceremony).
