Over the past two weeks, the ArcelorMittal Foundation, through Thusong Projects, has donated 600 food parcels in the most vulnerable communities in the Vaal area. Beneficiaries from the Vaal Oewer and Barrage informal settlements and nearby farming areas received food parcels consisting of non-perishable food items and fresh produce.

ArcelorMittal South Africa Chief Executive Officer, Kobus Verster, who was on hand to distribute the food parcels with his wife, Chantal, said: “With our home-base in the Vaal area, we are acutely aware of the growing need in local communities, which has now been exacerbated by the social and financial impact of Covid-19.

“As a business, we have taken drastic steps to ensure that we survive these difficult times, some of which will have an impact on our own employees. However, we cannot ignore the plight of those who live close to our operations.”

It was encouraging to see that the recommended prevention measure for Covid-19 are being taken seriously in communities as beneficiaries observed social distancing requirements, wore masks and used the hand sanitisers that were made available to them.

The food parcels are in addition to the ongoing work of the Thusong Projects Soup Kitchen, which has ramped up its food distribution service in the Vaal Triangle to serve over 1 000 people at least one nourishing meal a day.

“It is truly heartbreaking to see the desperate need in our local communities,” says Lindiwe Mahlangu, Managing Director of Thusong Projects. “This is a challenge that our government cannot tackle on its own and businesses will have to think differently about providing support that assists communities to become sustainable in the long-term.”

Thusong Projects is a strategic partner of the ArcelorMittal Foundation and together they invest in various community support and development initiatives focused on social welfare. Thusong Projects undertakes vital social responsibility work through donations of food and essential items to numerous NGOs - mostly charities, in Saldanha, Newcastle and the Vaal Triangle - and also delivers basic skills training and job creation initiatives in areas as diverse as sewing, arts and crafts and urban and commercial farming.

Further, around 5 000 masks produced by a local PPE factory that operates from the ArcelorMittal South Africa Business Park in Vanderbijlpark will be donated to local community projects. The joint initiative between the ArcelorMittal Foundation and Sizanani Clothing will assist in promoting prevention measures in local communities and generating income for community members.

Sizanani is a black managed business which manufactures safety clothing for ArcelorMittal South Africa, among other companies. The Business Park helps local start-ups draft their business plans and guides them though the process of setting up their enterprises. Beneficiaries are also supported by an ArcelorMittal South Africa-run Shared Service Centre which provides accounting and book-keeping services. By providing a secure hub into which people can move their businesses, ArcelorMittal South Africa is helping to create jobs and facilitate mainstream economic participation for surrounding communities.

“True to our motto of ‘Transforming tomorrow’, the ArcelorMittal Foundation aims to uplift local communities and create meaningful opportunities for long-term, sustainable development, even in these very difficult times,” concludes Verster.