In 2015 Woolworths set a target: to go on a journey with their customers and make a difference to education in South Africa. The aim: To raise R100 million.

The result: Over the last 18 months, 1,213,045 customers’ contributions to 7353 schools managed to exceed the target and raise R104, 911,304. And that’s just through shoppers swiping their MySchool or linked Woolies Card… with every swipe, Woolies gives back up to 1% to the school their customers choose to support.

How the funds make a difference

The schools that are receiving support via MySchool are using the funds where they need it most. The Thohoyandou Primary School in Pretoria South is focused on classroom renovations and addressing underperformance in Maths and Literacy.

St Peters Prep’s learners have reached out to schools in their community to foster a love of reading. In the process, they have gained far more than just the satisfaction of helping – they’ve forged lifelong friendships.

In Durban, Westridge High School, the only school teaching much-needed technical skills, is using funds to improve classrooms for their fast-growing learner base.

Research has shown that principals play a pivotal role in the success of their schools. The School Leadership Forum (SLF), sponsored by MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet, is helping to develop the capacity of school leaders through a series of professional presentations and panel discussions that empower them to deal with challenges at school. Your school probably has its own story, so next time you have a chance, chat to the principal or someone in the know and find out how your school is benefiting from their MySchool partnership.

Thank you!

While the funds are enormously empowering to the individual schools and programmes, the greatest outcome of this fundraising is that it shows that the people of South Africa believe that they can make a difference. Woolworths would like to thank all MySchool card users for that. Remember, the quest is never over and MySchool’s fundraising initiative continues. Every swipe you make at Woolies counts, so make sure your child’s school or a school of your choice is linked as a beneficiary on your MySchool profile. You can have three school benefeciaries – visit www.myschool.co.za to ensure your beneficiaries are loaded.