A CRECHE in a tiny rural area of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has been able to open its doors for the first time, thanks to an invaluable community upliftment initiative spearheaded by All Fuels.
In 2016, a severe drought delivered a crippling blow to residents of Vryheid in Northern KZN. Fast forward two years, and the region is still reeling. It’s been a particularly tough existence for the little community of Engunjwini in the Zululand Municipality. The 300 or so families that live there have been brought to their knees by the crisis and only have access to clean, fresh water when a tanker comes around once every two weeks.
All that has since changed. All Fuels teamed up with NPO, the Al-Imdaad Foundation, to install a solar-powered borehole outside the crèche, bringing much-needed relief to the parched community. Work began a few months ago, and to spare the poverty-stricken area operational costs, the borehole was fitted with a solar-powered pump which is both sustainable and cost-effective in the long-run.
Thanks to this socio-economic lifeline, a crèche that had delayed its grand opening due to the lack of clean water is now in operation. “An on-hand supply of clean, drinkable water is a necessity for the little ones whose families have been reeling from the ongoing water shortages in the area,” explains Zeyd Timol, CEO of All Fuels, and the Caltex KwaZulu-Natal South Branded Marketer. “All Fuels is passionate about delivering critical infrastructure to help improve lives at a grassroots level and initiatives such as this one at Engunjwini speak to that purpose. As a Chevron brand, we are deeply committed to local socio-economic development as we firmly believe that corporate South Africa has a powerful role to play in making an ongoing, impactful difference among communities that have been historically side-lined in terms of resource allocation and development.”
The borehole is an invaluable development initiative for a community that faced a daily struggle to survive. Now, families come from far and wide, in cars or even wheelbarrows, to collect clean, fresh water.
This is yet another example of All Fuels’ dedication to improving the lives of disadvantaged communities in KZN. We firmly believe that infrastructure development unlocks long-term socio-economic benefits and we will continue to identify opportunities that facilitate positive change. -Supplied