R2,1 million to celebrate MySchool’s 21 years of giving back

January 2019
The MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet community loyalty programme is celebrating 21 years of giving back and as part of the celebrations the programme is giving away R2,1 million to various 21 charity organisations in the country.
Citizens are invited, until the end of February 2019, to nominate any South African charitable organisation that matters to them.
In May, 21 winning beneficiary organisations will be chosen from the list of nominations to each receive R100 000, and the supporters who nominated them will each receive a R1 000 Woolworths gift card.
Originally an innovative school fundraising concept, the programme has evolved over the past 21 years so that cardholders today also support other causes that are close to their hearts.
MyVillage beneficiaries are a wide range of human development and care charities; while MyPlanet refers to those beneficiary organisations whose work involves animal welfare, conservation and environmental causes.
Each cardholder can nominate up to three beneficiaries, and donations are made by participating retailers on their behalf, and at no cost to them.
MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet General Manager, Pieter Twine was quoted to have said: “Twenty-one years down the line, there are 1 200 000 active cardholders raising funds for over 8 000 beneficiaries of the MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet programme, of which over 890 000 swipe for schools, 102 000 for MyVillage charities and
137 000 for MyPlanet organisations.
“To date more than R500 million has been raised for South African schools, charities, animal and environmental causes thanks to supporters swiping their cards at participating retailers. We want to encourage our supporters to also consider bringing local, smaller organisations doing heroic work in their communities into the fold, and for whom the giveaway of R100 000 can make a considerable difference.”
Twine added that the amounts raised are a true testament to what happens when people collaborate and the impact that can be achieved when many people’s contributions collectively provide support to causes. “The funds raised through the programme can play an important role in enabling MyVillage and MyPlanet organisations to pay their monthly bills, or even provide them with opportunities to scale up their services or start new, much-needed projects.”
“It has been a fantastic year of not just supporting national causes but also the smaller community-based organisations and causes. We hope that R2,1 million to give away to 21 causes to celebrate 21 years of giving back will inspire supporters to put their local heroes in the spotlight and give them a chance to win R100 000 towards the continuation for their important work within communities,” Twine concluded.
So far 21 of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) branches most in need each received R10 000, 21 000 Book Dash books were added to Santa’s Shoeboxes, 2 100 Tutudesks will be donated to learners at under-resourced schools in Limpopo, and 21 ‘Smiles’ (cleft lip/palate operations) with Operation Smile will be implemented in April 2019.
The 21 Years of Giving Back campaign is open to MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet supporters throughout the country. If you are not yet a cardholder, you can sign up for free at www.myschool.co.za or download the MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet App, nominate the cause that matters to you, and be part of the active citizenship our country needs.