The handover is a continuation of a partnership started in 2019 where three Isuzu D-MAX bakkies and three Isuzu trucks were presented to the organisation. The partnership has since seen these vehicles help Gift of the Givers with much needed logistical support in carrying out its humanitarian work and disaster relief efforts across the country, often navigating difficult terrain to reach communities facing adversity.

In 2019, Isuzu handed over three water tankers, which are still used today (two of 7 500 litres and one of 5 000 litres) in an effort to provide water to drought-stricken areas such as Makhanda, Graaff-Reinet, Somerset East, Alice and Fort Beaufort, transporting an average of 250 000 litres of water a month.

“At Isuzu Motors South Africa, we care about the communities in which we operate. As a responsible corporate citizen, we at Isuzu are committed to taking action and boldly doing more to make a positive impact in uplifting vulnerable communities.

“Our collaboration with Gift of the Givers reflects the core team values of our organisation, and we have significantly expanded our ability to rapidly respond to our communities when they need it most. We pride ourselves in being a company that builds reliable vehicles that bring hope to our communities,” says Isuzu Motors South Africa, Senior Vice President: Human Capital and Corporate Affairs, Mongezi Hermans.

The partnership has provided Gift of the Givers with fundamental support needed to further extend its disaster relief efforts to provinces that have suffered from devastating floods and drought, including the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal.

“As we receive these three ISUZU D-MAX bakkies today, we are extremely motivated to do more. These vehicles are lifelines that serve as a critical logistic tool, especially with mobilising our teams to reach communities situated in challenging terrain.

Transport forms a big part of what we do as we are often the first point of contact to provide disaster relief to those in need, making our partnership with Isuzu invaluable,” says Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, Founder: Gift of the Givers.