The Minister of Health together with the MEC for Health in KwaZulu-Natal; Drs Aaron Motsoaledi and Sibongiseni Dhlomo, will officiate at a function where the French based Sanofi-aventis Company will hand over a place of care for orphaned and vulnerable children in Ladysmith on 8 October 2010.
Sanofi-aventis is the leading multinational company in South Africa and one of the few such companies with a local manufacturing facility in the country. In this factory they develop and manufacture medicines that address some of the key priority programmes in health, including tuberculosis (TB), HIV and AIDS, diabetes and vaccines.
In 2005 Sanofi-aventis senior management team made the decision to adopt a rural community in Rorkes Drift as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects which has emerged and grown out of the passion and desire of Sanofi-aventis employees to help disadvantaged communities.
Sanofi-aventis South Africa has been involved with the Rorke’s Drift community since 2006. Together with the community they have initiated, and continue to implement, several upliftment programmes to ensure sustainable livelihood in this village.
The community also identified, as part of the ongoing consultation process embarked upon, the building of a care centre for orphaned and vulnerable children. After raising funds and obtaining financial and other support from our suppliers and business partners, the construction of a R2 million green building which was completed in August 2010. The community have named the care centre Ikhayalethu (Zulu for Our Home), and willprovide healthcare and educational support to these children.
The Honourable Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, accompanied by the MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, the Ambassador Jacques Lapouge (French Ambassador to South Africa), Mr Antoine Ortoli (Senior Vice President Intercontinental Region, sanofi-aventis France), Dr Robert Sebbag (Vice President Access to Medicines, sanofi-aventis - France) and Mr John Fagan (General Manager, Sanofi-aventis South Africa) will officially open Ikhayalethu Care Centre in Rorkes Drift.
Journalists are invited to attend the function to be held as follows;
Date: 8 October 2010 (Friday)
Time: 08h30
Venue: Rorke’s Drift, Ladysmith
On the same day our company has committed to the minister and the department that we will also conduct HCT testing of about 1000 Rorkes Drift community members who have been invited to the opening of Ikhayalethu in support of the HCT campaign.
Transport is available departing from Durban Playhouse at 06h30, for confirmations please contact Chris Maxon 083 285 0567 and/or Mpumi Sithole 082 456 4485.
