Old Mutual Insure partners with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund to donate 135 school desks to bolster literacy amongst young children.

Old Mutual Insure, donated 135 school desks to boost early childhood literacy skills amongst youngsters on World Literacy Day. 
 
The donation is the first of six donations that aims to bring dignity to 400 children from schools in the North West and Eastern Cape identified by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (the Fund) as part of their Child Survival, Development and Thriving programme.
 
“As a responsible business, we seek opportunities to deliver cutting-edge Corporate Social Investments that contribute to inclusive, transformative, impactful, and sustainable socio-economic development in the communities where we operate,” said Antonia Oakes, Retail Executive of Customer Experience and Responsible Business at Old Mutual Insure.
 
“We have a deliberate partnership approach that promotes social legitimacy and shared value, and this year, we partnered with the Fund.” 
 
The Fund’s Child Survival, Development and Thriving programme aims to improve the health and the development of children in their formative years. 
“Every year we celebrate Mandela Day, and this year our donation was towards education and literacy - a cause that was close to Nelson Mandela’s heart”, said Oakes.
 
The donation of 135 MiDesks will go to Grade 1 and Grade 2 children from Nthebe Primary School in Saulspoort in the North West province.
 
MiDesk Global is a proudly South African Innovation, providing underprivileged children who don’t have desks and attend schools with portable desks. The portable desk and chair can be wheeled to and from school and has a solar light and USB charging portal attached to it to provide light after hours. The portable desk can last for the 12-year duration of schooling. 
 
CEO of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, Konehali Gugushe, says that the organisation is grateful for the donation which will benefit children across the country. “This is an honour for our organisation as this advances and promotes education for young people. We would like to thank Old Mutual Insure in leading the way for corporates in answering the call to our current campaign to Serve Like Madiba and Give Like They’re Yours.”