Globeleq donates vehicle
Help at hand
Globeleq’s Solar Power Plant in De Aar, South Africa, has donated a vehicle to the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research (FARR), based in the town which is believed to have the world’s highest incidence of foetal alcohol disorders.
The handover of the vehicle, which is valued at just over $30 000, took place during the official re-opening of the FARR/Joan Wertheim Centre in De Aar, which was also refurbished with the help of funding from the plant.
“We hope that the vehicle will help the Centre and its staff support the community of De Aar, who rely on their dedication and work against Foetal Alcohol Syndrome,” says Marion Green-Thompson, Economic Development Manager for the power plant.
A preventable disability
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the most common preventable form of mental disability in the world and is estimated to affect three million children in South Africa, with a significant percentage of them from the communities in and around De Aar.
The condition is linked to a mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy which affects the way the baby’s brain develops. Children born with FAS experience both mental and physical problems.
Improving lives
The FARR/Joan Wertheim Centre is a hub for experts, community workers and ordinary people who work to improve the lives of those affected by FAS, their families and caregivers.