United Kingdom | Starfish Greathearts Foundation

Our communities are faced with two main challenges:

Poverty and Covid 19.

We are combating food insecurity by

re-purposing our wagons and

bringing supplies to children.

We need your help now more than ever.

Donate Now

“Children are our greatest treasure. They are our future.”
– Nelson Mandela

Our response to the unrest in South Africa

Starfish has responded to calls from our communities in Gauteng and KZN following the recent unrest. Our children are experiencing deepening poverty and heightened food insecurity on top of the challenges of Covid 19. There are no shops to sell food, and supply chains are disrupted. Children are hungry and suffering more than ever during this crisis. We have repurposed our wellness wagon into a food delivery vehicle and are aiming to reach 2,000 people every single day.

Starfish Greathearts Foundation exists to change the lives of orphaned or vulnerable children in communities affected by both HIV and AIDS, and poverty in South Africa.

WE EDUCATE

Education changes destiny. Starfish believes in the importance of education, particularly in the child’s first 1000 days. 18,000 children have benefitted from education in early childhood development centres.

WE CARE

Our Wellness Wagon programme has ensured that over 25,000 children in impoverished communities have access to primary health services and that 62,000 people received anti retro-virals and adherence support.

WE PROTECT

We identify, monitor and protect vulnerable children from abuse. Adolescents are empowered through education to resist gender-based violence and protect themselves from HIV/AIDS.

WE NOURISH

We provide proper nutrition to impoverished children, ensuring improved childhood growth, development and health.

92,000 children have received nutritional support

Royal Parks Half Marathon for Starfish

Next event in 2022, date TBD

Royal Parks Half Marathon is one of the world’s biggest half marathons and with 16,000 runners taking part in the 13.1 mile run, it will be an exciting event for everyone involved.

Starting in Hyde Park, the route will take you on closed roads through four of London’s eight Royal Parks – Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James Park and Kensington Gardens.

Join the Starfish Team today!

Get Involved

Dinner of Hope for 2021

Join our global campaign and host a Dinner of Hope.

We are raising funds to ensure that the vulnerable children we care for across South Africa have access to tasty nutritious food. How the evening will work: Simply fill out this form and donate whatever you can. We will email you a pre recorded cooking demonstration by celebrity chef, Zola Nene. Organise your Dinner of Hope and have fun…

Sign up

Starfish 5K Challenge

Run, walk, swim, skip or cycle your 5km for Starfish, donate £5 and nominate 5 people to do the same!

Donate Here

Tippy Tap Journey at Wozo Moya

Tippy Taps (TT) were first introduced to the community 6 years ago, in order to improve access to clean water for washing. Ufafa Valley is a water-scarce area, especially in the dry winter months. There is no formal water supply or sanitation.

Faced with Covid-19, never has there been more need for them.

We focus on schools and communal meeting places and spent time educating people on the importance of washing hands, thoroughly and frequently.

Donate to our Covid-19 Appeal

Donate Here

Sophia's story

Sophia is an orphan, who lives with her aunt in Chesterville. In 2011, when Sophia was in Grade 5 at Christopher Nxumalo Primary School in Chesterville, she was selected as a bursar by Starfish. The busary covered all of Sophia’s school needs such as fees, uniforms and stationery for the last 10 years. After successfully completing Grade 12, we worked with Sophia to help secure her placement to study ‘Aviation Support with Cabin Crew’ through Skyy Aviation. After a lot of hard work and perseverance, including a delay in her course due to the Covid-19 pandemic; Sophia has successfully completed her course. This recently culminated in one week of practical examinations in Johannesburg, as required by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which Sophia passed and now has her CAA certificate!

Mpilo's Story

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 £44.37 per month recieved from two Child Support government grants. There are no work opportunities in this remote village, so Mpilo’s Mum has sought the help of a local Starfish Programme for her children, that helps them receive an education, health care, food parcels and school uniforms. Mpilo has proved to be musically gifted and will soon take her Grade 6 music examination on the clarinet. What a wonderful achievement from a child living in a remote, impoverisched and deprived community!

The Wellness Wagon

On visiting a remote rural village, the nurse of the Wellness Wagon mobile clinic examined a young boy who was suffering from sores all over his body and swollen feet. He was found to have a severe lung infection and was hospitalised for a week. His mother had not realised the severity of his condition and he would not have received this life-saving treatment had the Wellness Wagon not attended his village.

Our teams are supplying emergency relief to children in need

COVID 19 has compounded existing difficulties for the children we care for. Zizise has been delivering emergency food parcels and sharing public health messages

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