Isuzu trucks boost Gift of the Givers’ Karoo water mission

Gift of the Givers has partnered with Isuzu Motors SA to bring a little relief to drought- stricken communities in the Karoo.

Isuzu has delivered a tanker truck and two other trucks fitted with water tanks, enabling Gift of the Givers to transport and deliver a total of 22,500 litres of water a day.

Gift of the Givers project manager Ali Sablay said the coronavirus outbreak meant that water was now needed not only for people to drink — it has also become essential for hygiene and sanitation to curb the spread of the disease, particularly in impoverished communities.

The Eastern Cape was declared a drought disaster area in October.

Sablay said the provision of logistical support linking newly drilled boreholes to the community was critical.

“The trucks are of great help.

“They bridge the gap between boreholes and water delivery to the communities in Makhanda in the east of the province, right through to Graaff-Reinet towards the west, covering towns such as Bedford, Adelaide and Cebe.”  

Isuzu SA corporate communications and PR manager Gishma Johnson said the farming community in Adelaide had been badly affected by the drought, posing a huge problem for agriculture and the economy of the region.

To this end, two of five boreholes completed had been handed over to farmers, providing relief to the farms and their 200 workers.

“We pride ourselves in providing transport solutions and being a trusted partner in getting a job done.

“It gives us great satisfaction to enable a community organisation like Gift of the Givers [which] shares a common goal of providing disaster relief in communities.

“It is encouraging to see the difference Isuzu is able to make in these farming and rural communities, and especially in the lives of those who are without basic human needs like water,” Johnson said.