Johannesburg, 20 May 2020 – The community of Herbertsdale, a small village approximately 40km from Mossel Bay received over 200 000 litres of clean water from Nestlé to help improve their livelihoods.
“Access to clean water and adequate sanitation is a fundamental human right. Protecting and preserving the water resources we share with others is therefore a major priority for us. We believe that proactive, long-term engagement and partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders can help to define, implement and evaluate solutions to the complex environmental challenges that we face,” stated Bruno Olierhoek, Chairman and Managing Director of Nestlé: East and Southern Africa Region.
The donation will not only assist the community with clean drinking water but will further assist with preventative hygiene measures such as regular washing of hands, as part of the interventions to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The food and manufacturing company’s relief efforts were applauded and welcomed by the leadership of the Mosel Bay Municipality.
“We as the Mossel Bay Municipality and the village of Herbertsdale want to thank Nestlé for always willing to assist in our communities in times of challenges,” said Harry Levendal, Mossel Bay Municipality Mayor.“ By assisting us in delivering a most critical resource like clean water, with your milk tankers during this challenging COVID-19 period, just re-confirms that Nestlé is taking the communities at heart.”
Mossel Bay is subject to regular droughts and was declared a disaster area after one prolonged drought a few years back. “This drought impact then prompted us to remodel our Nestlé dairy factory which is located in this town, to become self-sufficient in water as much as possible by using water recovered from the milk evaporation process. The factory now has excellent, quality recycled-water and is even able to generate energy from the process,” concluded Olierhoek.
The water donation forms part of the company’s ongoing coronavirus relief efforts, which included last week’s monetary contributions of approximately R15 million to various funds across the region.
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Zweli Mnisi
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About Nestlé
Nestlé is the world’s largest food and beverage company. It is present in 189 countries around the world, and its 328,000 employees are committed to Nestlé’s purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future. Nestlé offers a wide portfolio of products and services for people and their pets. Its more than 2000 brands range from global icons like NESCAFÉ or NESPRESSO to local favourites like RICOFFY. Company performance is driven by its Nutrition, Health and Wellness strategy. Nestlé is based in the Swiss town of Vevey where it was founded more than 150 years ago.