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Give Life, Hope & Opportunity

Starfish Greathearts Foundation
Helping orphaned & vulnerable children for over 20 years

We Change LivesOrange Divider

We provide life-changing care and support by giving nutrition, education, healthcare and social services to vulnerable and orphaned children in South Africa.

"I wholeheartedly support this organization's work, and encourage you to do the same."
Archbishop Desmond Tutu

This Year (2024)

25

Preschools Funded

17,621

Healthcare Consultations

248,784

Meals Served

Our Work

We join forces with communities to provide support to children in need.
Nourish
Educate
Healthcare
Social Welfare
Vector (3)

Our Stories

Heavy weight for light shoulders

Lerato lives with her single mother, an older sister, younger brother, and eight additional orphaned and street children who her mom very kindly takes care of.

Lerato with Family
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From dog kennel to loving home

At the tender age of two, Marco's heartbreaking story caught the attention of Gerrit and Ami, the founders of Agape, one of the Starfish-supported organizations. Marco's mother had been murdered and his grandmother would lock him out at night as she was a prostitute. He sought shelter from the rain and cold in a nearby dog kennel and was battling advanced pneumonia.
Marco
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From uniform to education

This is the heartwarming story of Themba, a bright and spirited child living in one of the communities we serve. Themba's carer could not afford a school uniform. In South Africa, a child is not permitted to attend school without a uniform and when a child's uniform is torn or tattered they are often teased and bullied by other children. 

Themba
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Light at the end of the tunnel

Mpilo and her little brother, Bongani, live with their ailing mother. Theirs is one of the poorest households in an indigent community, with a total income of $58.55 per month received from two Child Support government grants. 

Screenshot 2024-11-26 at 12.41.43
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My past does not determine my future

Thandazile, a resilient 7-year-old girl, was abandoned by her mother at birth and taken in by her grandmother. Despite challenging circumstances, her grandmother was determined to provide a bright future for Thandazile. 

Thandazile
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Expand Your Impact

Become a Greatheart

Join the Greathearts by making a continuous impact with a monthly donation. Your donations will help children each month.

Monthly Supporters
Local Chapter
Get Involved in your Nearest Chapter

Discover ways to support your local chapter, explore nearby events, and learn about the community’s impact.

We Love Our Community!

John & Beth "donated their wedding" to help 195 children

John and Beth wanted to make a difference to the orphaned children of South Africa and added Starfish as an option to their wedding gifts registry.

They raised enough money to give 130 children in the remotest rural areas healthcare and also feed 65 children warm and nutritious meals for an entire month.

Screenshot 2024-07-23 at 18.02.20-1

Royal Parks team wins again!

Our stunning central London half marathon route takes in some of the capital's world-famous landmarks, on closed roads and within four of London's eight Royal Parks - Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James's Park and Kensington Gardens. A highlight in our fundraising calendar, please get in touch to join the team in 2026!
Royal Parks

Jesse Clegg supports Starfish

Jesse Clegg sang a very special song at our virtual gala in honor of his father Johnny Clegg.

Years before, Johnny had collaborated with other celebrities to sing Great Heart to raise money for Starfish. Great Heart is a song near and dear to our hearts.

Jesse Clegg

Zola Nene, Celebrity Chef SA supports Starfish

Spread joy by hosting your own Dinner of Hope with Zola Nene. Watch her  "How to Video", and learn how to create a mouthwatering South African meal that will delight your friends and family. Ask your guests to make a donation to Starfish feed a hungry child.

Zola Nene Celebrity Chef SA Cooks for Starfish

Justin & Megan Donated Their Wedding

Justin and Megan selflessly dedicated their wedding to Starfish, providing a glimmer of hope and endless opportunities for orphaned and vulnerable children in South Africa.

Justin and Megan

Iron Man for Starfish

Vanessa, Antonio and Jeff took part in the IronMan USA challenge during the COVID pandemic. Iron Man is a triathlon made up of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle, and 26.2-mile run. 
South Africa was struggling with the COVID-19 vaccination rollout and this incredible team raised $6,000 for vaccines administered by the Starfish Wellness Wagon. The Wellness Wagons are mobile clinics that tend to rural areas where little to no medical services exist.
Vanessa, Antonio and Jeff

Bakithi Kumalo Supports Music

Bakithi, the renowned bassist who played alongside Paul Simon for more than three decades and was nominated for five joint Grammy awards, has partnered with Kala Music to generously donate musical instruments in support of the Starfish music program in the Eastern Cape. Having experienced firsthand how music lifted him out of poverty, Bakithi is deeply passionate about providing the same life-changing opportunities to underprivileged children in South Africa.
Bakithi Kumalo

Dr Eric Webster Runs at Age 91

Occasionally, we encounter individuals who truly ignite our inspiration. Dr. Eric Webster is undoubtedly one of those remarkable individuals.

At the remarkable age of 91, he fearlessly conquered a 5km run at the prestigious Loma Linda Race, all in support of the Starfish Greathearts Foundation and the incredible children it serves.

Dr Eric Webster

Johnny Clegg sang to support Starfish

What would our Hall of Fame be without Johnny Clegg. Johnny was an avid Starfish supporter and rallied fellow South African celebrities and musicians to sing his song Great Heart to raise funds for the Starfish Greathearts Foundation. We are deeply grateful for Johnny's support over so many years. He will always be a Greatheart to us.
Jonny Clegg with Choir

Liora helped buy a bus

Liora played an instrumental role in securing the necessary funds to acquire a crucial bus for transporting special needs and orphaned children to and from school, as well as to their important medical appointments.

This specially customized bus ensures the highest level of safety for children in the special needs programme.

Liora

Jeremy Loops Supports Starfish

During COVID Jeremy Loops generously recorded this video for our virtual gala to help raise money for orphaned and vulnerable children. 

Jeremy Loops

Kate Ran for a playground

In one of the communities we support, we came across a preschool teetering on the brink of closure due to a lack of funding. This preschool provides essential care for 120 children, serving as the only educational haven in the area.

Kate with Starfish children

Seasons of Hope

David Rappaport, alongside his incredibly talented friends from both on and off-Broadway, came together for a spectacular concert in NYC. Their mission? To raise funds for orphaned and vulnerable children who need our support. And guess what? They managed to raise an astounding $21,000! A huge thank you to David Rappaport, Cheryl Solomon, Michelle Liu Coughlin, Martin Solà, Henry Gainza, Elizabeth Loyacano, Christie Prades, Desiree Rodriguez, Michael Givens, Patrick S.R. Mills, Dr. Katherine Sun Cho, Alexander Rovang, Andres Echeverry & Gregg Monteith.

David Rappaport and cast

GoodLuck supports Starfish

During the pandemic, GoodLuck contributed this song to our virtual gala. Their support raised funds to provide orphaned and vulnerable children with essential healthcare and food in the most isolated and underserved rural regions, where access to supplies and medical assistance is severely limited or non-existent.
GoodLuck band

Mark Shipped Laptops

Mark (US-ACF) shipped laptops donated by Investec to our afterschool program in South Africa. This programme not only assists children with their homework but also gives them a place to go after school, keeping them off the streets.
Mark

Sylvia Lukach donated Workshops

Sylvia, the incredible talent behind Cape Lily, delighted our Starfish Supporters with enchanting holiday wreath-making workshops. Even amidst the challenges of COVID, she ingeniously adapted by offering the Wreath-in-a-Box, complete with a step-by-step video guide. Through her remarkable skills, Sylvia not only brought joy to our supporters but also contributed to feeding hundreds of hungry children with warm and nutritious meals. 

Sylvia Lukach

Jackson Donated His 13th Birthday

Jackson donated his 13th birthday to Starfish, he said, "Given this is my Bar Mitzvah year, it is important to me to contribute to causes that I care about. Being half-South African I want to make a difference to kids there who are not as fortunate as I am".
Jackson

Extreme Dinner of Hope on Mt Everest

 

A group of our incredible and very brave supporters came together for a breathtaking dinner of hope atop the majestic Mt Everest, all in an effort to raise funds for orphaned and vulnerable children.

Dinner table on Mt Everest

Jasper Donated His Birthday

Jasper selflessly dedicated his twelfth birthday to Starfish during COVID-19 to care for the children in South Africa so badly affected by the pandemic. Jasper made a profound impact by providing food and vaccines to children in isolation.  Jasper, you rock!

Jasper

Tough Mudder

The Investec team recently took on this muddy challenge to raise funds for our cause, jumping over one of the world’s most intense obstacle courses, designed to test physical strength, mental grit, and aptitude for camaraderie. They battled the elements and overcame fire and ice! We salute your perseverance. 

Tough Mudder

Joan Donated Her 80th Birthday

Joan donated her 80th birthday to helping the vulnerable and orphaned children of Starfish.
Joan

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Names & faces have been changed to protect the identity of children in compliance with COPPA legislation

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