OLD MUTUAL
COVID-19 RESPONSE REPORT JULY 2020
INTRODUCTION Old Mutual’s Covid-19 relief efforts have been focused on Health, Education and Food Relief through South Africa and the Rest of Africa. It was that announcement made on 7 January 2020 that informed us that a new virus, the 2019 novel coronavirus (Covid-19), had been identified. The first case in Africa, was confirmed in South Africa on 5 March 2020 and on 26 March South Africa went into a 21 Day Lockdown. Corporate South Africa stepped up to provide disaster relief, and Old Mutual as a responsible business really showed up during uncertain times. On 15 March 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the declaration of a national state of disaster following the World Health Organisation declaration of the Corona COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. On 15 March, South Africa confirmed 61 cases in the country, and it was this spike in cases that precipitated President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce the first measures to flatten the curve. These included all schools closing two days early for the school holidays, international travel bans from 18 March, a prohibition on gatherings of more than 100 people, and restrictions on the sale of alcohol. On 23 March, the President addressed the nation again, this time to announce a 21-day nationwide lockdown from midnight 26 March to midnight 16 April. During his speech, President Ramaphosa confirmed that the number of Covid-19 cases in South Arica had increased six-fold in just eight days, jumping from 61 to 402 cases. He warned that the rapid rise in infections could place great strain on the country’s healthcare services. We now live in a world where we operate within the various Alert Levels. As South Africa, we have moved from Level 5, to Level 4 and are now in Level 3. Covid-19 has starkly shown the high poverty levels and vast inequality in the various countries. Of the OML 13 countries, only South Africa and Uganda focused on all three areas of health, education and food relief, others combined two areas of health/education/ food, 10 countries had health as the key focus, thus the biggest investment went to health support, understandably so as Covid-19 is a global health pandemic. This report is a brief snapshot of our relief efforts thus far.
MASERAME MOUYEME Corporate Affairs and Responsible Business Director
OLD MUTUAL
COVID-19 RESPONSE REPORT
OUR RESPONSE Old Mutual Covid-19 Relief Efforts
1. E-learning
2. Hygiene Support
3. Food Security
4. Employee Volunteerism
5. Health and Hygiene
Through the digital delivery of educational material, we ensured continued learning and teaching through e-learning platforms for learners. Some of the learning material were made available in print, for users with no access to the internet or digital resources.
We partnered with organisations and NGOs to amplify the message of improved hygiene, cleanliness and physical distancing. The Read to Lead campaign was supported, including other reading and literacy initiatives. #SafeHands
Food parcels were distributed to various district poverty nodes, child-headed households and vulnerable refugees. We reached a total of just over 20 000 households, affecting over 100 000 lives.
Old Mutual staff have always given generously of their time and energy to the needs of orphans, the elderly, and others. During lockdown, staff answered the call to action by supporting homes for the elderly, shelters, orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs), and Early Childhood Centres (ECDs) with the most basic necessity – food. This was purposeful employee engagement in action.
MuPine Facility was handed over by Old Mutual to the Western Cape Government. This is a fully refurbished 300 bed quarantine and self-isolation facility from which is being used in the Province’s fight against Covid-19.
OLD MUTUAL
COVID-19 RESPONSE REPORT
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Donation - The Minister of Health in SA received a donation of PPE worth R5million from Old Mutual. All RoA operations also donated some PPE.
OUR PARTNERS Central to the success of these programmes were the partners we worked with. Our Covid-19 Response Partners included: Education
Health and Hygiene
The National Department of Basic Education and Provincial Departments
Soap4HOPE, HIGHER HEALTH, MuPine Facility and PPE
Online resources, free radio and television lessons were rolled out for learners in Grades 1 to 12. The Dial-a-Tutor initiative gives learners access to the best teachers in South Africa via interactive virtual classrooms. High-quality digital e-learning was delivered to a high number of South Africa’s 12 million learners and 440 000 teachers.
HIGHER HEALTH and the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector have been required to respond briskly to implement strategies to assist in combating the devastating effects of COVID-19 on higher education and training in South Africa. HIGHER HEALTH’s aim is to provide authoratative evidence-based scientifically proven guidance to all our Universities and TVET Colleges, and delivers awareness campaigns.
Old Mutual Nigeria supported the Virtual Learning Initiative of the Lagos State Ministry of Education with 10,000 radio sets (worth 20 million Naira) for school children from vulnerable communities across the state. OMN also committed to support Mathematics on the Ministry’s digital platform ‘Roducate’ as well as launch a Financial Education series for teachers in Lagos State public schools. Old Mutual Ghana – As schools are closed during lockdown, the Marketing Team at OMl Ghana partnered with schools to deliver Online Education to the students.
Through our partnership with the Imbumba Foundation and its Soap4HOPE campaign, soap and other hygiene products were distributed to vulnerable communities across South Africa. The families reached number an estimated 7784 families in eight provinces. The campaign also spreads safe hygiene protocols and the message of physical distancing, so that no one is left behind in their efforts to help flatten the Covid-19 curve. The Western Cape, Government received a fully refurbished 300 bed quarantine and self-isolation facility from Old Mutual which is used in the Province’s fight against Covid-19. The Group has invested R4.5 million in the MuPine facility which enables the province to effectively strengthen its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Donation - The Minister of Health in SA received a donation of PPE worth R5million from Old Mutual.
Food Security UNHCR, Nelson Mandela Foundation and Department of Social Development
Food Forward South Africa, PMB’s and RoA
We partnered and continue to work with UNHCR, the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Each One Feed One Campaign, the Department of Social Development, and various NGOs to provide nutrition to thousands of children who are not able to access school feeding schemes during the lockdown. Current reports show that we have reached just over 7700 families across South Africa.
The Old Mutual Staff Volunteer Fund Trust contributed R2 million towards food relief efforts. We partnered with Food Forward SA to distribute food parcels to homes for the aged, shelters for women and youth, child-headed households and Early Childhood Development Centres.
Through our partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), we also reached out to vulnerable refugees in South Africa. The exact number of refugee families reached through this initiative were 294 individuals and 580 families (persons of concern or refugees). These Persons of Concern who benefitted were predominantly from - DRC, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Rwanda.
The Provincial Management Boards (PMBs) have been active in each of the provinces, partnering with respective government departments and NGOs to address local and regional needs. Through the PMBs, in conjunction with an array of regional and provincial partners, around R2 million has collectively been donated to community relief efforts, including the provision of personal protective equipment, tents, hospital beds and food parcels. RoA food relief from Eswatini, Kenya, Namibia, South Sudan, Uganda and South Africa.
LETTERS OF APPRECIATION
& many more...
OLD MUTUAL
COVID-19 RESPONSE REPORT
OUR PARTNERS In addition to our various partnerships and the programmes described above, we have leveraged the influence and reach of key national figures who have partnered indirectly with the Old Mutual Foundation in our food security programme. For example, current South African Rugby World Cup Captain, Siya Kolisi was an active participant in our Nelson Mandela Foundation food drive, through the Siya and Rachel Kolisi Foundation. There has been further engagement with Traditional Local Councils from various rural areas in South Africa.
SIYA KOLISI Our Current South African Rugby World Cup Winning Captain
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KAIZER JNR MOTAUNG Former Kaizer Chiefs Player
COVID-19 RESPONSE REPORT
CATHERINE CONSTANTINIDES Human Rights Activist
LEANNE MANNAS SABC Morning Live Broadcaster
MAPS MAPONYANE TV Presenter and Entrepreneur
OUR REACH
IN NUMBERS Our efforts are ongoing, and will continue long after the scourge has passed its peak. This report gives just a glimpse of the efforts made by Old Mutual and the Old Mutual Foundation to combat the effects of the pandemic, and to strengthen those most in need of assistance.
Over 20 Thousand Families
OLD MUTUAL
COVID-19 RESPONSE REPORT
ZAR 52 Million
MEDIA COVERAGE REACH
IN NUMBERS
OLD MUTUAL
COVID-19 RESPONSE REPORT
THE REST OF AFRICA’S EFFORTS IN PICTURES
OLD MUTUAL
COVID-19 RESPONSE REPORT
RELIEF CATEGORY OVERVIEW PER COUNTRY
OLD MUTUAL
COVID-19 RESPONSE REPORT
IN CLOSING Old Mutual Foundation has invested in a national Covid-19 Response Report and repository, which will document the corporate response to Covid-19 and lessons learnt. The report will be in print and digital format, acting as a historical record of the critical role played by corporate South Africa during a time of national crisis. Old Mutual is proud to have stood shoulder to shoulder with government, key NGOs, community activists and the general public during this unprecedented time. Thanks to the generosity of spirit of our partners and our staff. We have been able to make a real impact on the health and prosperity of our country. As we continue the rollout of Covid-19 relief project, our monitoring and evaluation processes are still underway. FIKILE KUHLASE HEAD | OLD MUTUAL FOUNDATION AND SOCIAL INVESTMENT Corporate Affairs and Responsible Business
OLD MUTUAL
COVID-19 RESPONSE REPORT