Renowned entertainment and leisure resort Emperors Palace has heeded a call by the government to respond to the pandemic by rolling out a personal protective equipment (PPE) programme.
The programme is targeted at learners and educators in township schools situated within the jurisdiction of the Ekurhuleni metro.
In partnership with the Department of Basic Education, areas of Tembisa, Kathorus, Daveyton, and Etwatwa were selected so that the schools may remain open and operate safely.
In doing this it will allow learners and educators to complete the academic year.
The project team at Emperors Palace, through one of its broad-based black economic empowerment vehicles, the Infrastructure Fund, selected 180 schools to receive the PPE at a total cost of R20-million.
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“Emperors Palace has always prided itself on its CSI initiatives and during this pandemic, it’s important for all corporations to do what they can, no matter how small. The only way to stave off Covid-19 is to adhere to the safety protocols. But not everyone can afford PPE, and that’s why we needed to raise our hands and help,” said Emperors Palace trust manager Jenny Findlay.
The first donation saw Ikusasa Secondary School receive basic PPE and supplies including masks, shields, gloves, aprons, soap and cleaning supplies to the value of over R110 000.
In addition, the project team elected to source masks from local sewing organisations, empowering local, female-owned businesses.
One such organisation is the Dorcas Foundation Six Co-Operative, which was appointed by Emperors Palace to make 23 400 masks for nine schools in Tembisa.
The organisation was registered in 2013 as a way to empower local women and started out by sewing school uniforms for orphans and vulnerable children in Tembisa.
“We believe in supporting local enterprises and helping build the foundation for entrepreneurial growth in local communities,” said Emperors Palace complex general manager Clive Tavener.
“Working together is a big factor for us to overcome the plague of Covid-19 and it’s important for us to help where we can.
“We chose Ikusasa Secondary as our starting point so that the learners can finish off the academic year strong amidst all these disruptions. A simple thing like a face mask and being able to wash your hands can be the difference between being able to finish your educational year, and we want to do our part to make sure that happens.”
The donations were delivered in batches to the selected schools in the pilot phase of the programme which ended on September 16.
“We challenge other organisations to join this worthy cause and make sure that we can end this pandemic and ensure our learners can further their education,” said Tavener.
