Covid-19 Relief and Recovery Support
Helping rural communities at this critical time
Due to the potentially devastating impact of COVID-19, the South African government acted early, declaring a nationwide lockdown in March 2020. This swift and decisive action definitely saved lives and allowed health services to prepare and increase their capacity, but the negative effects on the economy and livelihoods in communities nearby Singita Sabi Sand and the Kruger National Park – as well as other areas of the country – have been profound.
Covid-19 relief and recovery support
The Singita Lowveld Trust (SLT) has been unwavering in our support of our Community Partners through this global pandemic. The evolution of our COVID Relief has shifted from short emergency relief in 2020 – providing monthly food parcels to the many pre-schooler families who battled through hard lock down with no source of income or government grant support. In 2021, we adjusted our covid relief support as the South African lock down levels eased, ensuring all 17 of the Early Childhood Development centres we support were able to meet all the Covid Protocols. We provided all the centres with the necessary PPE materials as well as health and safety training for centre manager and staff to ensure the centres could safely open their doors and successfully remain open throughout 2021.
Thanks to strong donor support, the SLT and its partner Africa Foundation delivered 2 863 food parcels to the neediest children and their families at 26 preschools in the region, helping approximately 11 500 local community members. The food parcel programme has now been suspended due to the lifting of the lockdown, although we continue to monitor the situation.
Subsequent covid relief has focused on ensuring all ECD Centres could open safely and remain open despite this pandemic throughout 2021. All have welcomed the children back to their classrooms, with all 17 centres staying open throughout 2021 – a remarkable achievement that only 4% of all National ECD centres managed to achieve. Each term the schools’ needs are reviewed and necessary PPE resources (mobile hand washing stations, sanitisers, thermometers, kitchen and classroom cleaning materials, masks) delivered.
We are extremely grateful to our donors for making these ECD Centres a safe haven for the children as the pandemic progresses.
As we help our community partners navigate the road towards recover, the emphasis of our covid recovery is now on helping them build back better, with our fundraising will now returning to our strategic annual ECD Resource Drive which provides essential educational toys and equipment to stimulate the children’s holistic development. We are proud to be holding our first ECD Resource Drive in 18 months. In December 2021, we will be equipping the 19 – 36-month classrooms to ensure these facilities are safe, stimulating educational environments.
Conservation Partner
Singita Lowveld Trust
In South Africa, the Singita Lowveld Trust manages a wide range of conservation projects in Singita Sabi Sand and Singita Kruger National Park – from anti-poaching initiatives to wildlife research & land management, sustainability efforts and community partnership projects such as early childhood development, digital learning and a world-class culinary school.
A highly skilled team of tracking dogs and handlers enhance anti-poaching efforts in the Sabi Sand Reserve, while the Trust’s partnership with the global conservation NGO Panthera has shown that the area is home to the largest density of leopards of any protected area surveyed in South Africa. The Panthera’s Furs for Life project – of which Singita is a partner – has reduced the demand for leopard skins with 50%.
