June marks Youth Month, a time to reflect on the role young people play in shaping South Africa’s future, and the importance of creating real opportunities for them to thrive.

For many learners, the challenge is not ability, but access. Barriers such as limited resources, unequal education systems, and the difficult transition from school into the working world continue to impact their path forward.

 the In-School Breakfast Programme directly supports learners in under-resourced communities by providing daily breakfasts. This helps improve focus, attendance and overall wellbeing, creating a stronger foundation.

The program also extends beyond nutrition. Community members are employed as food monitors and handlers, gaining practical, work-based experience that helps build responsibility, confidence, and early workplace exposure – skills that support future employability.

This is further strengthened through our partnership with

 which supports ten scholars from Grade 8 to Grade 12. Through this initiative learners receive access to quality education, along with ongoing academic and personal support.

Together, these initiatives focus on both immediate needs and long-term development, helping to create clearer, more sustainable pathways for young people.

Because when they are given the right support, access to opportunity becomes something they can actively build on.

As one of The Star Foundation’s key focus area’s education and skills development remain central to our work. It continues to shape how we approach our programmes, reflecting the importance of creating real opportunities and supporting long-term growth.

Education & Skills Development

 Santa’s Stash campaign continues to make a meaningful impact beyond the festive season.

, funds raised through the competition have helped replace unsafe pit toilets at Sijabulile Primary School in Mbombela and Ian Mackenzie Secondary School in Bushbuckridge.

On 7 May, there was a real sense of celebration at Sijabulile Primary School, as learners, teachers and partners came together for the opening of the new sanitation facilities.

Today, more than 500 learners and educators across both schools have access to safe, clean sanitation — helping to create a more positive learning environment and restoring a sense of dignity.

It’s a powerful reminder of what’s possible when the right partnerships come together to meet real needs.

Support Breadline Africa's pit toilet campaign

Changing School Days

For many families in South Africa, food is not something that can be taken for granted. Putting a meal on the table is not always simple, and for millions of households, access to nutritious food remains uncertain.

Food insecurity continues to affect communities across the country. Around one in five households experience inadequate access to food, according to 

 For many families, this means difficult daily choices about what to eat, how much to eat, and when the next meal will come.

The impact is especially severe for children. An estimated 23% of children in South Africa live in severe food poverty, limiting their access to a nutritious and diverse diet. As a result, around 27–29% of children under five are affected by stunting — a condition caused by chronic undernutrition that can impact both physical growth and cognitive development.

Access to adequate nutrition is closely linked to a child’s ability to learn, grow, and thrive. Without it, the effects are not only immediate but can also shape long-term health, development, and opportunity.

Addressing nutrition and food security is therefore a critical step toward building healthier, more resilient communities. At The Star Foundation, this remains a key focus of our work. Through our in-school breakfast programme in partnership with 

, we help ensure that learners start their day with the nourishment they need to focus and learn. 

These realities continue to highlight the urgent need for long term-solutions that support healthier and more food-secure communities.

Nutrition and Food Security

You can’t expect a child to focus on learning in an environment that works against them.

Yet for many learners, this is the reality of their school day. Classrooms can be overcrowded, sanitation facilities are inadequate, access to clean water is inconsistent, and basic hygiene is difficult to maintain.

Because long before a child steps into a lesson, their environment shapes how they experience school.

For many learners across South Africa, these challenges are part of everyday life. Schools often serve communities where access to basic services is limited, and the pressures children face at home do not disappear when they arrive at school. Many learners enter the classroom already carrying the effects of hunger, discomfort or instability.

This means that school is not just a place of learning, but a space that can either support a child or make it harder for them to keep up and stay engaged.

When a child’s environment does not support their wellbeing, the impact is immediate. Hunger remains a significant barrier for many learners, affecting concentration, energy levels and overall development. A child who is unwell, hungry or uncomfortable is far less likely to focus or participate fully.

Addressing these challenges requires practical support that meets learners’ everyday needs. Access to nutrition and safe, supportive school environments can make a meaningful difference.

Creating healthy environments for children is essential to their wellbeing and their ability to succeed. When the right conditions are in place, children are better able to learn, participate and build a foundation for their future.

Safe Learning Spaces

For many learners in KwaZulu-Natal, using a school toilet has never been a simple or safe part of the day.

Pit toilets have remained a daily reality, bringing with them serious risks to health, safety and dignity. For years, this has been the environment learners and educators have had to navigate.

 support raised through the Santa’s Stash campaign with

 enabled the replacement of unsafe pit toilets at three schools. Maliphume Primary School, Linwood Combined Primary School and Songozini Primary School, reaching 313 learners and 15 teachers, in partnership with 

What was once a daily risk is being replaced with facilities that are safe, clean and dignified. For learners, this means being able to move through their school day without fear, and with a greater sense of confidence.

East Coast Radio’s Big Favour continues to respond to real needs across KwaZulu-Natal, stepping in where support is needed most and helping to bring practical change to communities.

There are still many learners facing the same conditions, but for these schools, this marks a real change                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Support Breadline Africa's pit toilet campaign: 

Safer Schools in KwaZulu-Natal

Health is shaped long before someone walks into a clinic.

Health and well-being is not only about healthcare. It is influenced by everyday living conditions.

Access to food, clean sanitation and safe environments all play a role in how people live, work and participate in their communities.

When these basic conditions are not in place, the effects are immediate. Health risks increase, daily life becomes more difficult, and opportunities are limited.

Improving these conditions has a direct impact. It supports better health, creates safer environments and makes everyday life more manageable.

This is especially important for children. The environments they grow and learn in directly affect their health, confidence and ability to participate each day. Access to proper facilities and basic resources helps create a more supportive environment where children feel safe and respected.

At The Star Foundation, this is why health and wellbeing is one of our core pillars. It focuses on the practical realities that affect people every day, and the role these play in building stronger, more resilient communities.

Health & Well-Being

Following the initial rollout of additional emergency theatre lists at 

 continued through October to December 2025, ensuring urgent orthopaedic trauma cases could proceed without delay.

 patients required multi-stage or combined operations

Most procedures involved complex lower-limb and upper-limb fractures — a continued reflection of the high trauma burden within the public healthcare system.

While this phase built on the progress of earlier months, the demand for emergency surgical access remained constant. The additional theatre time provided essential capacity within an already stretched environment, helping protect both patient outcomes and surgical teams under pressure.

“This support has helped time-critical surgeries proceed without delay, resulting in safer care and better outcomes for vulnerable patients.”
— 

Sabeeha Moosa – Medical Manager Theatre & Anaesthesia

As the project progresses, sustained access to emergency theatre time continues to play a critical role in strengthening trauma services.

Emergency Surgery Impact

Over the past two years, we’ve seen how the right prosthetic support can change everything for children living with limb disabilities. From March 2024 to February 2026, The Star Foundation worked alongside Jumping Kids to fund specialised prosthetic equipment — helping children move more freely, build confidence, and participate fully in school and play.

In year one, 12 children were supported with tailored prosthetic equipment designed around their individual needs. For many of these families, it wasn’t just about mobility — it was about possibility, independence and hope.

In year two, the focus shifted to sustainability, prioritising ongoing maintenance, refitments and replacements for the 12 children supported in year one, while extending support to five additional children.

We are deeply grateful to the Jumping Kids team for their expertise and dedication, and to the brave children and families who allowed us to walk this journey with them.

 on our website and learn all about our inspiring beneficiaries.

Mobility in Motion

Life hasn’t always been easy for Chantal Groenewald. At just three years old, she was removed from her home and placed in Paul Kruger Children’s Home – a place of safety where she spent most of her childhood.

Instead of letting her circumstances define her, Chantal grew into a bright, bubbly and determined young woman who focused on building a better future for herself.

She worked hard at school, matriculated in 2025 with good results and has already started chasing opportunities to further her studies.

Just as her next chapter was starting, a persistent pain in her right foot slowed her down - turning everyday movement into a struggle. After medical consultations and scans, doctors confirmed that she needed a complex knee surgery, which includes a meniscus repair and ligament reconstruction in her right knee to prevent long-term damage and restore her mobility.

Without surgery, the pain wouldn’t just linger – it would follow her into every part of her life, making studying, working and simply moving through the world harder than it should ever be for a 19-year-old.

, R80,375 will be going towards covering Chantal’s medical expenses and specialised aftercare that she needs to recover fully.

The procedure requires 2 hours in theatre and 3-4 nights in a normal ward, with specialised rehabilitation to get her back on her feet, and now, she doesn’t have to face it all alone.

Thanks to LottoStar and Good Morning Angels, Chantal’s new chapter is no longer on hold.

LottoStar – charity is our privilege, not an obligation.

Relief. Recovery. Hope.

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