“What started out as a playground has become a lifeline for an entire community.”
Nestled in the heart of Hout Bay, Cape Town, Little Angels is a beacon of hope for the community. Founded by Liezl Mathews in 2011, what began as a simple playground to keep her nephews and nieces safe off the streets has grown into a vital community hub offering a crèche, pre-school, aftercare program, youth support initiative, feeding scheme, and a safe house for women and children.
Despite the incredible impact Little Angels has on the lives of hundreds of families, the organization receives no stable funding or government support. Their limited income from the crèche and other small initiatives is inconsistent, leaving them with a significant budget shortfall. This financial strain has forced them to reduce their capacity across critical programme areas and places them at risk of losing staff, while also preventing necessary maintenance to make the centre warm, safe, and fully functional.
This is where The Star Foundation has stepped in. With the generous support of funds donated by the 1609 Group, we are contributing R200,000 monthly to help little Angels restore their ability to operate at full capacity. In addition, we've helped them become a recognised CBO beneficiary with S.A. Harvest, enabling weekly deliveries of perishable and non-perishable food — a lifeline that directly improves food security in the community.
Our support extends beyond meals, helping ensure that Little Angels has the essential resources to continue serving the community with dignity and care. From educational tools to basic necessities and staff development, we’re committed to strengthening their foundation -with more on this shared in our journey tab.
Quote from Little Angels: “We have a lot of passion, but we need support too! Working with the Star Foundation has given us new hope- hope for things we could previously only dream of. Like an extra bed in the safe house. That means one more woman or child away from abuse. More food for the feeding scheme. That means less children will go hungry this winter. More blankets for the creche. That means less children will have to share during flu season. Stable salaries for the teachers. That means women who have worked for nothing for years can see a doctor when they need to or pay school fees for their own children.”