Over the eight-week period, the programme will reach approximately 8 000 learners from Grade R to Grade 3 across 11 primary schools. The initiative forms part of Sasol’s broader commitment to supporting health and education in the communities in which it operates.

The campaign combines preventative health services with educational interventions. During school-based sessions, learners are taught about the importance of oral health and the daily habits required to maintain healthy teeth and gums. To reinforce these lessons, each learner receives age-appropriate educational material on oral health, as well as a toothbrush and toothpaste.

In addition to awareness education, preventative health support is provided through basic oral health screening. Learners identified as requiring further medical attention are referred to appropriate health services, helping to ensure that emerging oral health issues are addressed early.

According to Dr Nontokozo Xaba, Manager: Sasolburg and Ekandustria Regional Corporate Social Investment Execution, Sasol is cognisant of the significant barriers to healthcare faced by many children. Children in many communities face limited access to preventive services such as oral health education, oral hygiene support and basic health screening. “These barriers can indirectly negatively impact school attendance, learning ability and overall wellbeing. The Sasol School Oral Health Campaign, through our implementing partner, Starfish Greathearts Foundation, aims to address these challenges by delivering health support interventions directly within schools, ensuring that children receive preventative care and health education in a safe and accessible environment”, said Dr Xaba.

Through this campaign, Sasol and the Department of Basic Education aim to promote lifelong healthy habits, support learner wellbeing and contribute to improved educational outcomes in the community around Sasol operations.

The post Sasol and Department of Basic Education launch School Oral Health Campaign in Zamdela appeared first on Sasol in Society.

According to the World Health Organisation, each year, around 2.3 million people globally receive a breast cancer diagnosis, making this form of the disease the most common cancer. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a vital calendar event which advocates for early detection, prevention and the provision of support and care resources.

Sasol’s Give-As-You-Earn programme, which allows employees to nominate payroll giving beneficiaries, supports 113 organisations of which the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) as well as CANSA Sasolburg form part of. The Non-Profit Organisation’s (NPO) work to lead South Africa towards a cancer-free society involves:

• Cancer Screening and Early Detection: the NPO provides Clinical Breast Exams, Pap smears, and PSA tests for early cancer detection, using advanced tech such as the FotoFinder Mole Analysis for skin cancer screening.
• Advocacy and Awareness Campaigns: CANSA advocates for cancer control and prevention. Campaigns such as Breast Cancer Awareness and SunSmart educate the public on cancer risks and promotes healthy lifestyle choices.
• CANSA Care Homes: CANSA Care Homes offer affordable lodging across South Africa for patients travelling long distances to seek treatment, providing a comfortable and supportive setting during their care.
• CANSA TLC Lodges: the organisation’s TLC (Tough Living with Cancer) lodges offer emotional, psychological, and practical support to families of children undergoing cancer treatment, creating a more comfortable environment.
• Psychosocial Support Services: this includes phone counselling, support groups and patient care programmes. The Tele Counselling service provides professional, confidential emotional support in seven official languages, ensuring accessibility for all.
• Research and Information Services: CANSA plays a significant role in cancer research, partnering with leading institutions to fund innovative studies while providing the public with educational content e.g. breast cancer self-examination material.

How can you support CANSA’s work?

1. Volunteering Time: People can volunteer at CANSA Care Centres, TLC Lodges, or during community events. They can assist with patient support, organise awareness campaigns, or help with administrative tasks.
2. Participating in Fundraising Events: The public can participate in or organise fundraising events such as charity runs, engaging colleagues, friends, and family to raise funds for CANSA programmes
3. Hosting Awareness Campaigns: people can organise cancer awareness campaigns at work or in the community, including workshops, distributing materials, or hosting CANSA guest speakers.
4. In-Kind Donations: people can donate items such as toiletries, blankets, or care packages for patients at CANSA Care Homes and TLC Lodges. Community and workplace drives to collect these assists supporting patients during treatment.
5. Skills-Based Volunteering: skills-based volunteering leverages expertise to make a meaningful impact. For example, marketing professionals can help with campaigns, IT experts can assist with tech needs, etc.

By supporting employee-selected NPOs such as CANSA and CANSA Sasolburg, Sasol for Good enables employees and the public to use their diverse skills and expertise in volunteering efforts. This empowers communities and co-creates sustainable livelihoods, while we collectively foster a culture of generosity and support, contributing to essential resources and making a lasting impact.

You can support CANSA’s work by following the NPO on:

Instagram: CANSA (@cancerassociationofsouthafrica) • Instagram photos and videos

LinkedIn: CANSA The Cancer Association of South Africa | LinkedIn

Facebook: CANSA The Cancer Association of South Africa | Bedfordview | Facebook

Click here for more Sasol in Society content.

The post Breast Cancer Awareness Month appeared first on Sasol in Society.

The project covered three main activities:

• Chronic Disease Education and Awareness: Develop and implement a communication programme to address chronic disease impact, demystify myths, and promote early detection. Co-branded educational leaflets and marketing materials will be utilised for this purpose.
• Chronic Disease Screening and Testing: Deploy mobile equipment and trained healthcare personnel to conduct comprehensive screenings, including eye testing, body temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen, body composition, blood lipids, uric acid, total cholesterol, and blood glucose testing.
• Medical Prescriptions: Provide necessary medical prescriptions as per the assessment outcomes.
• Provide Spectacles and Referrals: Sasol through Guud will provide glasses/spectacles to our fence-line communities and where it is not possible, we will unfortunately have to refer them.

On 27 March, the Mobile clinic participated in the GMM World TB Day commemoration event at Afghan, Kinross.

The team has already reached communities in Bethal, eMzinoni, Kinross, Evander and eMbalenhle, and the campaign will next visit Leandra and Charl Cilliers to ensure the service is available to all seven towns of GMM.

Click here to read more Sasol in Society articles.

The post Community Health Initiative appeared first on Sasol in Society.

Mashudu Ndou, Head: Community Affairs said: “One of Sasol’s focus areas is to ensure that our communities have access to quality health care. Health care is a human right which should not be limited by mobility. Through this donation, Sasol aims to support the Department of Health’s community outreach of bringing Isibhedlela Kubantu (hospital to the people) especially since some of the community members are still displaced following the floods.”.

Our purpose statement “Innovating for a better world” ensures that we remain true to our core business while responding to community challenges.

The post Sasol donates two mobile clinics to KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health appeared first on Sasol in Society.

Team Sasol has donated mobile clinics, vaccine carriers, specialised medical refrigerators and freezers, and temperature loggers to the provincial departments of health in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Free State to support the rollout of vaccines in its host provinces.

“In order to deliver on our community health focus area, and solidify our social partner status, we recognise the need to support Government’s vaccination rollout strategy by donating essential equipment and resources,” said Simon Baloyi, Sasol Senior Vice President: Regional Operations and Asset Services.

As a responsible social partner, Sasol has been supporting the different spheres of society since the outbreak of the pandemic through its shared-value approach. This approach is underscored by its commitment to ensuring the health and safety of its employees, their families and those who live in its fenceline communities.

Recognising the challenge posed by the vastness of the South African landscape in enabling access to vaccines, Baloyi said Sasol decided to fast track its plans to donate equipment such as laptops, mobile clinics, and World Health Organisation-approved medical fridges, vaccine carriers, and temperature loggers to enable a much broader reach of government’s community vaccination drive.

“Our purpose as Sasol is to innovate for a better world. In line with that, our social impact approach aims to deliver effective and relevant interventions that enable the creation of partner leveraged social value,” said Baloyi.

Since the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic in March last year, Sasol has:

• Produced and donated more than 1,6 million litres of alcohol-based sanitiser to frontline workers in hospitals, clinics, communities, as well as local and national government. These were distributed by its partners Stellar Transport, Reef Tankers, Imperial Logistics and Super Group Freight;
• Donated over 12 000 masks, 36 000 pairs of gloves and 5 000 safety suits and overalls towards frontline response efforts in its fenceline communities;
• Converted a number of its buildings into quarantine centres for employees and their families;
• Transformed its mobile science laboratories, usually used for school education programmes, into COVID-19 screening and testing units;
• Donated a million litres of jet fuel to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation for the repatriation of South Africans stranded abroad;
• And, fast tracked the manufacturing of its own hand-sanitisers for use at its own operations, immediate fenceline communities in Mpumalanga and Free State. This product was also distributed to employees of strategic partners.

In addition to the above, Sasol on Thursday, 09 September, will also handover a Mobile Science Laboratory and an e-Learning support programme to the Mpumalanga Department of Education to help address the challenge of poor access to technology especially for learners in rural and peri-urban areas.

“Our COVID-19 response has been multi-layered, consultative and collaborative to support efforts to flatten the curve with particular focus on our fenceline communities within Mpumalanga, Free State, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal,” Baloyi said.

Read about other Team Sasol COVID-19 initiatives here.

The post Donation to Provincial Governments’ Vaccination Rollout appeared first on Sasol in Society.

The medical equipment includes a Ford Ranger custom built mobile clinic, a Toyota Hi-Ace 14-seater minibus, 5 WHO (-40oC) approved vaccine cold storage freezers, 25 vaccine carriers, 25 temperature loggers and 20 laptops handed over to the Free State Department of Health. Information pamphlets and posters were included in the donation.

“In order to deliver on our community health focus area, and solidify our social partner status, we recognise the need to support the provincial government’s vaccination rollout strategy by donating essential equipment and resources,” said Charlotte Mokoena, Sasol Executive Vice President: Human Resources and Stakeholder Relations.

Recognising the challenge posed by the vastness of the Free State landscape in enabling access to vaccines especially in the most rural parts of the province, the company also donated mobile clinics, vehicles and laptops to be used for the capturing of data.

Mokoena said since the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic in March last year, Sasol has:

• produced and donated more than 1,6 million litres of alcohol-based sanitiser to frontline workers in hospitals, clinics, communities, as well as local and national government;
• donated over 12 000 masks, 36 000 pairs of gloves and 5 000 safety suits and overalls towards frontline response efforts in its fenceline communities;
• converted a number of its buildings into quarantine centres for employees and their families; converted its mobile science laboratories, usually used for school education programmes, into COVID -19 screening and testing units;
• and donated a million litres of jet fuel to the Department of International Affairs for the repatriation of South Africans stranded abroad.

Furthermore, as a producer and bulk supplier of a variety of speciality chemicals, Sasol has also come up with a new unique blend of alcohol to be used in the manufacturing of hand-sanitisers to help address the increase in demand for these products in the market.

The company last year also fast tracked the manufacturing of its own hand-sanitisers for use at its own operations, immediate fence line communities in Free State and Mpumalanga, and distribution to employees of strategic partners. “Our COVID-19 response has been multi-layered, consultative and collaborative to support efforts to flatten the curve with particular focus on our fence line communities within Free State, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal,” Mokoena said.

Read more articles about Sasol’s commitment to social investment in South Africa, click here.

The post Sasol Donates Medical Equipment appeared first on Sasol in Society.

The University, which has been producing alcohol-based hand sanitisers for internal use and donating any excess to communities in need, uses its internal production capacity at InnoVenton to process Sasol Ethanol and produce between 400 and 500 liters of hand sanitiser per day. This is distributed to communities in the Eastern Cape, jointly identified with Sasol.  The Community Convergence Workstream (CCW) play a key role in working with Community Organisations to ensure that the sanitiser reaches those who need it the most. This team is guided by the need to be responsive to challenges faced by communities as a result of COVID-19, while simultaneously exploring the broader strategic objective of the transformed, engaged, and responsive university played.  Production through this partnership will continue until 30 September 2020 or until the envisaged 20 000 litres of hand sanitiser have been produced and distributed.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

The strategic partnership with Sasol is one of numerous that have been established to further increase the reach of its hand sanitisers to benefit communities, NGOs NPOs, CBOs hospitals and schools, to minimise the spread of COVID-19 infections and improve the health and safety of communities. 

At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, both Sasol and Mandela University produced hand sanitiser to meet their internal needs, as well as to assist their immediate communities in efforts towards the broader societal fight against COVID-19. At Mandela University, these efforts were carried out through the COVID-19 Coordinating Committee (CCC) that drives the institution’s external response to the pandemic.

Sasol responded to the needs of its own employees, contractors and fence-line communities by developing and producing its own blend of hand sanitiser.  The non-medical grade hand sanitiser is based on World Health Organisation (WHO) formulation requirements.  To date, Sasol has produced and distributed over 762 000 litres of hand sanitiser for internal use including providing hand sanitiser to various communities in South Africa and Mozambique, all provided free of charge.

Nelson Mandela University responded by producing ~13 000L of hand sanitiser at InnoVenton for use by staff and students, with excess donated to communities in need communities.  InnoVenton also provides a hand sanitiser testing service and has shared hand sanitiser production information with small to medium enterprises (SMEs).    

In September 2020, over 550 000 litres of the total produced volumes were donated by Sasol to communities or to beneficiaries through its strategic partnerships.  According to Thabiet Booley, Senior Vice President of Sasol’s Base Chemicals business, the Eastern Cape region has been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“While the number of critically ill patients have decreased, the Eastern Cape Government has indicated that they are bracing for a surge of infections which was predicted to occur between August and September.  We are delighted with the partnership established with Nelson Mandela University as it comes at a time when communities are in urgent need of hand disinfection hygiene support to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection and to reduce the surge of anticipated infections”.

Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, Prof Azwinndini Muronga, who leads the hand sanitiser work stream of the COVID-19 Coordinating Committee, said the partnership bode well with the University’s efforts towards curbing the spread of the virus.

“Our efforts in the fight against COVID-19 cannot cease. Given the ongoing need for such preventative measures, we are excited to partner with Sasol to not only boost our sanitiser production, but also be able to dispatch it to those communities that need it most. This is true to our resolve to collaborate with other stakeholders in making a meaningful contribution to the communities in which we are based,” he said.

The University has commenced with production and first product is expected to reach communities from the 4th of September 2020.  Sasol and Mandela University acknowledges with gratitude the transportation of chemicals to Nelson Mandela University from Sasol by Zosi Group and PeterPan Ubuntu.

Discover other initiatives and partnerships helping our Sasol teams support our communities here.

The post NMU PARTNERS WITH SASOL appeared first on Sasol in Society.

Sibanye-Stillwater CEO, Neal Froneman said; “the safety, health and wellbeing of our employees is our primary concern and our focus of providing a safe working environment is unwavering. We also recognise the need to work with government to support communities that host our operations in managing the scourge of COVID-19.  Our contribution will benefit schools, health facilities and taxi ranks and we welcome the collaboration with Sasol, Imperial and AngloGold Ashanti to support local communities.”

Sasol, AngloGold Ashanti and Sibanye-Stillwater will jointly share the costs of producing the hand sanitisers with Imperial -South Africa’s leading outsourced, integrated freight management, contract logistics company – committing to distribute the hand sanitisers to communities where Sibanye-Stillwater and AngloGold Ashanti operates in the Free State, Mpumalanga, North West, Limpopo and Gauteng provinces. The programme will also be extended to some regions in the Eastern Cape. Sasol has appointed the toll manufacturer and will also oversee the production, packaging and preparation for safe transportation of 94,550 liters of hand sanitiser.

Thabiet Booley, Senior Vice President of Sasol’s Base Chemicals division said: “Sasol recognises its duty and responsibility to support our customers, communities and society at large in these challenging and uncertain times.  Through our strategic partnership with Sibanye-Stillwater, AngloGold Ashanti, and Imperial Logistics, we are pleased that our internally produced sanitisers will provide Sibanye-Stillwater’s and AngloGold Ashanti’s host and labour sending communities with hand disinfection hygiene support to reduce the risk of COVID-19″.

“The partnership aims to augment the impact of our relief efforts, and importantly, enhancing general hand hygiene, which remains an effective line of defence,” Dr. Bafedile Chauke, AngloGold Ashanti Vice President: Health, said. “As we tackle the current unprecedented health emergency, it is crucial that we protect the most vulnerable in our country.”

“We are united in the mission to keep communities safe from infection,” adds Imperial Group CEO, Mohammed Akoojee. “We are honoured and humbled to play a part in delivering much-needed goods and some peace of mind in these highly uncertain times.”  

Click here to see other ways Sasol is helping the fight against COVID-19

The post Sibanye-Stillwater, AngloGold Ashanti, Sasol and Imperial join forces to distribute hand sanitisers to communities appeared first on Sasol in Society.

At a handover ceremony at the City of Johannesburg Regional Offices in Johannesburg, Sasol delivered the 1500 litres of hand sanitiser to the office of the Executive Major, who will in turn allocate these to fenceline places of public interest and activity around the province with the greatest need.

“As the country braces itself for an increase in infections, as well as the resultant influx of patients into hospitals, it is crucial that these facilities are well prepared with adequate volumes of hand sanitisers to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other contaminants that could exacerbate the situation,” said Cindy Mogotsi, Senior Vice President: Corporate Affairs at Sasol. “With some medical centres being less resourced than others, we felt a duty to support those that are most likely to experience shortages due to supply constraints.”

As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in South Africa, general hand hygiene remains an effective line of defence against the pandemic.

In mid-April, Sasol and its partners delivered a bulk shipment of hand sanitiser liquid to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic, Charlotte Maxeke Academic, Helen Joseph and Leratong hospitals. Sasol and its partners worked with hospital managers to establish innovative ways to address the growing need for sanitiser in a sustainable way.

Sasol also donated thousands of gloves, soaps and masks to destitute communities across all seven regions of the City of Tshwane, the City of Ekurhuleni and the taxi industry in Gauteng.

Maintaining momentum

Later this week, the company will deliver an additional 1500 litres of hand sanitiser to the Gauteng Department of Health, as well as sanitiser to the Department of Education. This will be in anticipation of the reopening of schools and the additional hygiene protocols that will be required.

“As the National Lockdown is lifted, we anticipate large-scale hygiene interventions and expect to be inundated with requests, especially from schools and medical facilities, where children and sick people will be expected to spend long hours in high density and congested conditions,” added Mogotsi.

The post City of Johannesburg receives 1500 litres of hand sanitiser appeared first on Sasol in Society.

As manufacturer of the alcohols used in the manufacturing of sanitisers, Sasol is producing hand sanitiser in-house for distribution to frontline COVID-19 health workers and community support structures. 2 000 litres are distributed per week to 41 clinics and five hospitals in the Fezile Dabi District, the local SAPS, Public Safety, Correctional Services, Metsimaholo Local Municipality  offices, district municipal offices, Provincial Department of Health and community support  structures.

In addition, Sasolburg Operations is supporting the Fezile Dabi District Department of Health with a donation of 2 700 FFP2 masks and 30 700 pairs of surgical gloves for use by health care workers. 300 000 educational pamphlets on COVID-19 were also printed for distribution in the community by the department. The South African National Defence Force is in turn assisted by Sasol with accommodation for 52 of their members who are deployed in Metsimaholo.

Click here to find more about Sasol’s support in the fight against COVID-19

The post Sasol supports fight against COVID-19 appeared first on Sasol in Society.

Like the other doctors at the hospital, her duties are many and varied; one month she will work in casualty, the next in paediatrics but they all boil down to the same thing: saving lives and helping patients to recover.

Until recently, Dr Masooane-Tladi often worked in what passed for an operating theatre, performing surgery in conditions that were simply sub-standard. “The lighting in theatre was so bad that we literally used the torches on our cellphones,” the young doctor explains. “And it was so hot in there, often over 30°C, that the nurses were constantly mopping the faces of the doctors, we were sweating so much.”

Casualty, in particular, was cramped, crowded and posed a security threat to doctors and other staff. But things at Fezi Ngubentombi have recently changed a great deal as result of Sasol’s partnership with the district municipality.

In 2017 and 2018, in close collaboration with district and provincial health authorities, Sasol invested R15.5 million on critical upgrades to the hospital. Many of the improvements were immediate and striking: state-of-the-art operating theatres with world-class lighting, air-conditioning and equipment, a more spacious, more secure casualty area, a new trauma unit and an enlarged maternity ward. Other upgrades were not so obvious but just as important, for instance, repairing and sealing the hospital’s roof and paying for long-overdue electrical upgrades.

In a third upgrade phase, beginning in 2019, the Free State Department of Health will spend R9 million on Fezi Ngubentombi with Sasol matching this contribution. Improvements in the third phase will include overhauling the hospital’s entrance and admissions area, upgrading security, the kitchen and laundry facilities. The net result will be a dramatically improved district hospital, one that will meet the Department of Health’s “ideal” district status, that will improve the delivery of healthcare and, ultimately, save lives.

Free State MEC for health Ms Montseng Tsiu recently inspected the facilities:

In addition to Fezi Ngubentombi, Sasol recently built a brand new Sasolburg clinic, replacing the cramped, overcrowded and run-down clinic which used to be housed in the main local municipal building.

We upgraded three other clinics and the area’s major community health centre. As part of the more than R37 million committed to local healthcare, Sasol recently spent R3.1 million, with the Free State Department of Health and NGOs, on the Sasol HIV/Aids Support Programme. We also invested in four fully-equipped mobile clinics (two of them off-road vehicles), bringing potentially life-saving care, screening and medicines to those in remote areas.

Sasol and healthcare in the Fezile Dabi district – in numbers

The post Sustainable healthcare access for communities appeared first on Sasol in Society.

Sasol invested R2 million to revamp the Bethal clinic from being housed in a congested municipal building to a fully equipped 24 hour healthcare facility with dental and maternity facilities. A mobile clinic was donated in addition for use in underserviced areas of the district. In eMbalenhle, the Extension 14 clinic has also been completely upgraded through a R9,2 million overhaul.

Bafana Msibi chairperson of the Clinic Committee and a community development worker, says the clinic is integral to the community. Msibi says the community is growing substantially, as people from afar relocated to the region seeking work and economic opportunities. The new clinic has become an indispensable asset in providing increased access to much-needed healthcare services.

Since then, the Extension 14 Clinic has been visited by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi in November 2014, the then Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and then Premier of Mupumalanga David Mabuza.

Sasol has helped convert the Bethal facilities and the eMbalenhle Extension 14 Clinic to what Hlatshwayo calls a “platinum” standard. The clinic is accessible to all patients with reasonable waiting times, quality service and readily available medicine and treatment. As a result, Hlatswhayo has experienced vast improvement in patient satisfaction.

Eunice Ngobeni, the Operations Manager of the clinic says the clinic used to operate from an RDP House that was donated by Sasol in the early 90s. Although this facility was upgraded over time, it could not cope with the growing population and burden of disease. Patients were exposed to the elements while waiting for service, privacy comprised and risk of infection was high.

While planning for the new clinic commenced in 2014, developers broke ground in 2016 and it took 18 months to have the facility ready for handover to the Health Department.

Ngobeni notes that the clinic offers a full range of services, including family planning, treatment of minor ailments, ante natal and post natal care, as well as chronic disease. Patients who cannot be treated are referred to the Evander Hospital.

The post Providing quality healthcare to Secunda appeared first on Sasol in Society.