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Samancor hospice and orphanage bring comfort to local community
April 2005. Samancor Press Release.
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The Kotulong Community Centre (KCC), primarily sponsored by the BHP Billiton Development Trust (BBDT), has very nearly reached capacity in terms of populating its hospice for terminally ill patients and children's ward for orphans.
The centre is housed at Metalloys in Meyerton, an operation of Samancor Manganese, part of BHP Billiton, the world's largest diversified mineral resources company. The centre was launched by Dr Vincent Maphai, chairman BHP Billiton SA, and MEC for the Gauteng Department of Social Development, Bob Mabaso.
Kotulong, meaning place of harvest, was developed at a disused mining hostel after the Metalloys team assessed community needs and gained the support of government, NGOs and the BBDT. The centre was set up to alleviate the plight of people in the local community infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, particularly children orphaned by the disease.
It presently offers an 18-bed hospice unit, seven foster care units with capacity for 42 orphaned children, a kitchen, library, community hall, resource centre, training facilities, administration office, sports field and gardens. Training for home-based care is also provided. As well as medical and counselling services, a poverty alleviation programme is conducted at the centre, with sewing and beadwork classes, permaculture projects and other skills development training.
The outreach programmes also ensure healthcare is brought to people in the nearby communities. The programmes also identify vulnerable children and orphans. "Once it has been ascertained these children are in need of care, appropriate legal procedures are followed before the child may be admitted to the centre", says Philip Hechter, vice president, South African Operations & Business Improvements Samancor Manganese, who hosted the launch.
Future plans include the appointment of a centre manager to take overall responsibility for Kotulong.
The BHP Billiton Development Trust, the Department of Health, and the Department of Social Services currently fund the KCC. Metalloys is responsible for its upkeep.
Hechter concludes: "The centre has really made a difference to the community. Imagine where these children could have been now. It also gives the people admitted to the hospice the opportunity to either be able to return home once they have been treated - or at least to die with dignity".
Before embarking on the project the BBDT, in conjunction with Metalloys, conducted a feasibility study to ascertain primary needs in the nearby communities. "There were so many priorities, but the critical one related to the children, with poverty alleviation - due to the unemployment rate - and HIV/AIDS being other major issues", says Norah Segoati, health manager for BBDT.
BHP Billiton won an Award for Business Excellence from the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS last year. The citation on the award reads: "This year, we recognise the company BHP Billiton, with the newly created Innovation Award, for its stellar workplace HIV/AIDS response and especially for its pioneering, highly innovative efforts to reach out to the broader community by converting company-owned single-sex worker hostels into community centres. This approach does not only attempt to change the underlying social factors that put employees and communities at risk, but also provides support to people most heavily affected by the disease".
The BHP Billiton Development Trust (BBDT) implements co-ordinates and manages the sustainable development initiatives of BHP Billiton and BHP Billiton companies and operations such as Samancor Chrome, Samancor Manganese, Ingwe Coal and BHP Billiton Aluminium, which participate in the trust. BHP Billiton allocates 1% of pre-tax profits to corporate responsibility projects, based on a three-year rolling average. Expenditure on projects for the year ended June 30, 2004 is valued at over R40 million. The funds are applied in four main categories education and training, capacity building, socio-economic development and healthcare. |
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