The Solidarity Fund has issued an interim impact report, explaining how the R3.1-billion of donations it has received have been allocated and disbursed since the inception of the fund in March.

The fund comments in a statement that it was a daunting task to build a new institution from scratch, while mobilising the largest fundraising campaign ever in the country.

The fund’s work had been comprised of a health response to support hospitals and health workers with equipment, humanitarian relief to provide food and other goods to vulnerable households, as well as a behaviour change component, which aimed to unite the nation in action against Covid-19 and encourage behavioural change.

The funds explains that, during the early “crisis phase” of the pandemic, the emphasis was on supporting and bolstering the healthcare system so that frontline health workers could effectively and safely respond to the predicted influx of patients. For that reason, the health response received the lion’s share of funding so far.

In respect of testing, the fund allocated R409-million to bolster national testing capacity, while it approved R884-million for acquiring personal protective equipment.

Funding for essential health equipment totalled R120-million for the Western Cape, R76-million for the Eastern Cape and R209-milion for Gauteng. About R250-million was also allocated for locally produced non-invasive ventilators.

In terms of post-reporting period support, the fund will donate R327-million toward securing South Africa’s position in the Covid-19 vaccine programme, which will help secure access to vaccines for 10%, or six-million, of the population.

Moreover, in phase one of the fund’s food relief programme, an allocation of R120-million was made for emergency food relief.

A further R100-million was allocated for food vouchers and R100-million for input vouchers.

In the first phase of the fund, R92-million was allocated a gender-based violence initiative to provide assistance to established organisations on the front line in the fight against this national scourge.

Further, the fund has allocated R61-million for behaviour change spend.

The fund says behavioural change is key to managing the spread of the virus, now and in the future. Safe practices such as handwashing, proper mask-wearing and social distancing need to be entrenched in our culture, along with simple empathy and respect.

“By working closely with civil society, traditional leaders and faith-based organisations, the Solidarity Fund works to ensure that essential messaging and information is delivered by trusted sources.”