Donation of luxury 4x4s to help save baby rhinos

BMW South Africa wants to make the selfless work done by non-governmental organisations easier.

The German luxury vehicle manufacturer has decided to donate 20 X3s - worth over R15-million - to non-governmental organisations‚ working in tough terrain‚ as well as to educational institutions.

First to receive one of two of the luxury 4x4’s was the Rhino Orphanage in Limpopo‚ which cares for orphaned and injured baby rhinos with the aim of releasing them back into the wild.

“We have made 20 BMW X3s worth more than R15-million available for both NGOs and educational establishments.

“In terms of the NGOs‚ our first recipient is the Rhino Orphanage‚ which does extraordinary work to rescue baby rhinos whose mothers have been killed in the poaching crisis. We are giving the Rhino Orphanage two BMW X3s to assist with their work‚” said Alexander Parker‚ BMW Group South Africa spokesman.

Parker said BMW was not ready to announce the rest of the recipients “as the discussions are not quite complete”.

“However‚ the NGOs we are talking to require a robust and powerful 4x4 to do their work‚ and will represent a diverse selection of NGOs working to improve the lives of South Africans‚” he added.

The Rhino Orphanage was founded by conservationist Arrie van Deventer in 2012 as the result of a lack of a specialised place for rearing baby rhinos‚ orphaned as a result of poaching.

“This past week our entire team was left speechless and humbled by the generosity shown by BMW South Africa.

“We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support of our orphanage and its rhino babies and the peace of mind you have given us‚ knowing that we have a trustworthy vehicle that will get orphaned‚ injured and rescued rhino babies to our facility safely‚” the orphanage said in a Facebook post.

Parker said BMW has long supported “projects in South Africa that further social welfare‚ education and support wildlife.

“In our educational projects we have supported 144 schools in various ways and at Ntsha Peu Primary School in Shoshanguve‚ by the end of 2018 we will have donated a computer centre‚ a library and a multi-sports facility.

“More than 1‚900 children have benefited from the Early Learning Centre at BMW Group Plant Rosslyn in Tshwane.

“Providing BMW X3s and engines to engineering facilities at technical colleges and universities is a continuation of this philosophy.

“We want to help engineering students experience at first hand the world-class engineering innate to the South Africa-built BMW X3.

“We are in discussions with several educational establishments around a donation‚ and will announce the recipients in due course‚” Parker added.