Gifting hope to children with cancer!

On behalf of the children and teenagers with cancer, their families, and the entire CHOC team, we extend our sincere gratitude to GlobalGiving for its continued partnership in keeping more than hope alive.

During the October–December 2025 period, CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa delivered life-saving psychosocial and practical support to vulnerable families despite a constrained funding climate and the ripple effects of reduced international donor funding. Through donor generosity, CHOC directly served 1,257 children and teenagers and supported an estimated 1,571 parents and caregivers across South Africa.

Programme Impact & Strengthened Accountability

CHOC continued to mitigate barriers to treatment including deep rural poverty, long travel distances, chemotherapy shortages, stigma, and fragile public health systems.

Key developments included the phased implementation of a Salesforce CRM system, strengthening monitoring, evaluation, and accountability. The system now captures patient-level data, with household-level integration underway. This enhancement enables CHOC to quantify the direct household impact of food parcels and vouchers, improving evidence-based reporting and demonstrating clear donor return on impact.

Provincial Human Impact

• Eastern Cape: R79,330 in transport assistance supported 337 beneficiaries, with families travelling up to R500 per trip to access care.
• North West (Rustenburg/Pokeng): Social Workers managed complex cases involving stigma, unemployment, orphaned children, and reliance on SASSA grants while ensuring treatment continuity.
• Free State & Northern Cape: Increased referrals following the departure of a Northern Cape specialist led to a 200 bed-night increase at CHOC Bloemfontein House and greater transport and Carebag demand. Cross-border late-stage diagnoses from Lesotho have also increased. An additional Social Worker in the Free State is urgently needed.

Green Economy & Sustainability

Donor investment enabled CHOC to advance its green economy strategy, strengthening resilience and reducing operational costs:

Water Conservation

• 16 JoJo tanks installed across 9 CHOC Houses (1,000–20,000L capacity).
• Rainwater harvesting and boreholes enhance water security.
• Significant municipal savings achieved in KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State.

Solar Energy

• Solar installed at 9 CHOC Houses (7.2–15 kWh capacity).
• Electricity costs significantly reduced, with Free State showing the most pronounced savings.
• Savings are redirected toward life-saving programmes.

These initiatives protect service delivery while reducing exposure to rising utility costs.

Job Protection & Service Continuity

In a challenging funding climate, donor support protected 99 staff positions nationally, including 53 direct care staff serving 6,134 beneficiaries annually and supporting approximately 1,000 new diagnoses each year. CHOC’s skilled workforce bridges critical gaps in psychosocial, emotional, and practical support that families cannot navigate alone.

Early Detection & Community Capacity Building

CHOC strengthened early diagnosis pathways through:

• Training of 45 healthcare workers in Mpumalanga.
• A Traditional Health Practitioners Open Day (120 attendees), fostering collaboration between traditional and western medicine to improve early referral of childhood cancers.

These engagements enhance trust in health systems and directly contribute to earlier detection and improved survival outcomes.

Festive Support & Remembrance

During the emotionally demanding festive season, donor funding enabled CHOC to host Christmas celebrations, provide meals and gifts, and ensure no child felt forgotten. Remembrance services offered sacred spaces of healing and dignity for families who have lost a child, reinforcing CHOC’s commitment to compassionate, holistic care.

Governance & Donor Assurance

In line with updated SARS regulations, CHOC issues either a Section 18A tax certificate or an SED confirmation per donation. CHOC ensures full compliance, transparent documentation, and alignment with donor objectives, maintaining ethical stewardship and measurable social and environmental returns.

Conclusion

Amid reduced international funding and heightened sector pressure, GlobalGiving’s support has enabled CHOC to safeguard treatment access, protect jobs, strengthen sustainability, and uphold dignity for children with cancer.

Together, we are not only saving lives — we are building resilience and a sustainable future for the children who need it most.