Mondi donates R2 million property for Zululand HIV/AIDS initiative

The lives of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal are about to change for the better with Mondi's donation of Amangwe Village to the Zululand Chamber of Business Foundation (ZCBF). An example of an innovative multi-sectoral partnership, the donation and renovation of Amangwe Village forms part of Mondi's policy to champion HIV/AIDS initiatives in its areas of operation.

Mondi has donated the R2 million property and, in partnership with the ZCBF, will steer the transformation of Amangwe Village, a six-hectare estate situated on the outskirts of Kwambonambi, into the region's best equipped, holistic HIV/AIDS care centre. It was formerly used as accommodation for Mondi's forest employees and offers the perfect infrastructure for HIV/AIDS care initiatives.

"Mondi approached the ZCBF with a plan to expand the existing Ethembeni Care Centre and incorporate its facilities and services into Amangwe Village," says Mondi CEO Andrew Thompson.
Ethembeni, a Mondi-owned property located approximately 10km from Amangwe Village, was established in 1997 by local companies Mondi, Hillside and Bayside Aluminium, Richards Bay Coal Terminal, Richards Bay Minerals and Portnet. "Ethembeni has provided a much-needed service to the community but it is no longer able to effectively meet the escalating demand for HIV/AIDS care facilities," adds Thompson.

The Amangwe Village property, which includes an existing clinic, crèche, recreation hall and 52 cottages, will incorporate Ethembeni. With this entire infrastructure already in place, the centre has the potential to become the flagship resource centre for HIV/AIDS intervention in Zululand. Jill Stander, HIV/AIDS projects manager for the ZCBF, "We saw this an ideal opportunity to leverage impact through co-ordination and mobilise existing resources to create a 'one-stop' care and prevention facility for orphans and vulnerable children."

The buildings will undergo phased renovation to accommodate the expansion of Ethembeni from a 17-bed to a 45-bed sub-acute hospital facility, including a 16-bed paediatric ward and counselling facilities. The village will, in time, offer an expanded care centre, extensive services and programmes for orphans and vulnerable children (day-care, recreation and learning centres) as well as community outreach and training initiatives (home-based care, skills training and peer education programmes).

The Amangwe project has forged partnerships with the Departments of Health, Welfare and Education and key NGOs, CBOs and FBOs. It is through these partnerships that Amangwe Village embraces a vision of becoming a blueprint for similar care centres in developing countries.
"While these partnerships are critical to the sustainability of Amangwe Village, it is a community-based concept, with people living with HIV/AIDS taking ownership of it," says Bob Hunt, general manager of Mondi Kraft.

For further information, contact:

Marion Dixon - Anglo American Corporate Communication Department
Tel: +27 (0)11 638 3001 Cell: +27 (0)82 775 5520
Email: [email protected]

Mandla Mbokazi - Mondi Kraft
Tel: +27 (0)35 902 2533
Email: [email protected]

Vanessa Dean - Zululand Chamber of Business Foundation

Tel: +27 (0)35 797 3133
Email: [email protected]
Background information:

About Mondi and the ZCBF:
Mondi Limited is a fully integrated forestry, pulp, paper and packaging group, forming part of the Forest Products division of the global mining and natural resources group Anglo American. Across its eight divisions, Mondi owns or leases 660 000 hectares of forest land and has an annual turnover of approximately US$2 billion. The Group continues to advance its "Triple Bottom Line" approach to sustainable development, driving developments and facilitating partnerships in the arenas of environmental conservation, community involvement and economic performance.

Zululand Chamber of Business Foundation (ZCBF), located in Richards Bay, has to date channelled and managed funds in excess of R50 million, raised predominantly through the efforts of the private sector and working in close co-operation with the provincial governments and local communities. The organisation facilitates partnerships in the areas of education, skills training, small, micro- and medium-enterprise development, and health and welfare.