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“The purpose of the Mandela University Convergence Fund is to mobilise resources for Nelson Mandela University to assist in addressing serious societal issues like hunger and deprivation in communities in support of our Hubs of Convergence.”
As South Africa navigates the national COVID-19 lockdown, hunger and food security in communities have emerged as critical challenges. Despite the interventions by SASSA and other government agencies and NGOs, poor communities are suffering untold hardship. Given the socioeconomic challenges in this region and the immediate need for resources to aid the fight against COVID-19, the University is of the view that the establishment of a Nelson Mandela University Convergence Fund, to which staff and students can make monetary donations, on a completely voluntary level, would serve as direct assistance to the needy in our immediate community. This fund builds on the University’s existing commitment to create Hubs of Convergence and to partner with civil society and communities to assist in resolving pressing societal issues. It also seeks to extend the University’s COVID-19 interventions beyond supporting government to also supporting communities.
The donations so far are categorised as follows:
List of Beneficiaries
Methods of payment
Contributions to the Mandela University Convergence Fund are processed through the Nelson Mandela University Trust (Registration Number IT 48/2001). Oversight is carried out by a board of Trustees as part of their fiduciary responsibilities. The Trust is independently audited each year. Copies of the annual financial statements and audit reports can be found in the Trust annual reports on the Trust website. The Finance Division of the University provides financial management services to the Trust in terms of a 2018 SLA.
Working in collaboration, we can mount a strong defence against the threat that fire poses for our communities!
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be much more than just a health crisis, but a societal one that has once again laid bare the country’s deep social crevices.
After approaching the Community Convergence Workstream (CCW) on behalf of her social work students, part-time lecturer Ms Nozithembiso Makonxa-Nodonti wondered whether her own organization might be able to be assisted too. Her request to the CCW was shared with the Masks Project and with the SASOL-Innoventon Sanitizer Project, and in October 2020, Nelson Mandela University was able to hand over 161 litres of hand sanitiser and 68 masks to Sophumelela Drop-In Centre in Motherwell, Port Elizabeth.
Every year Nelson Mandela University’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students are placed at different centres across the city to serve in their existing initiatives. Last year, four third-year students were placed at Asakhe Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC). During their time there, the students were encouraged by their lecturer, Ms Nozithembiso Makonxa-Nodonti, to contact the Community Convergence Workstream (CCW) to assist in providing masks to the Centre. Thanks to the CCW’s Masks Project and this workstream’s involvement in the partnership between SASOL and Innoventon, these students were ultimately able to hand over a total of 48 kids’ masks and 25 litres of hand sanitizer, and in doing so, partner with the important work that the Centre is doing.
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