Jacaranda FM listeners opened their hearts and wallets this Youth Day to help child burn survivors heal, proving once again that kindness is contagious… and incredibly powerful.
Johannesburg, South Africa (17 June 2025) – If you needed proof that kindness still exists in massive, goosebump-inducing waves… this is it. Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels planned to raise a few rands for a good cause but instead rallied an entire country and raised an extraordinary R2.7 million to help child burn survivors get the treatment they so urgently need.
Timed with Youth Day and hosted during the station’s Breakfast with Martin Bester show, the initiative began with a powerful goal: replace a critical laser machine at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. This specialised piece of equipment, used to treat burn scars in children, had broken beyond repair. And the cost of a new one stood at R1.4 million.
But South Africans didn’t hesitate.
By 8 a.m., the first target had already been reached. Listeners from all walks of life jumped in, proving once again that generosity is alive and well. And when the supplier offered a second machine at a discounted R1.3 million, the team didn’t stop… they set a new goal.
By the end of the show, R2.52 million had been raised. By the following morning, that number had grown to R2.7 million.
Thanks to this incredible response, the Avela Foundation, which has spent the last decade supporting the healing of young burn survivors across South Africa, will now be able to treat up to 40 children each month.
That’s 40 lives changed, not just medically but emotionally too.
Martin Bester captured the moment best, “This wasn’t just about buying a machine; it was about giving children their futures back… That’s what radio can do. It connects people and inspires miracles.”
Support also came from corporate partners who understood the heart behind the campaign. LottoStar’s contribution of R697,000 gave the campaign an early surge, helping the team pass their initial target in record time. The Machi Filotimo Cancer Project also joined in, providing not only funding but a special toy drop for the children at the hospital, a gesture that brought lightness and joy amidst the serious healing process.
Related Story
As winter deepens and burn-related accidents become more frequent, this campaign reminds us that impact is never too far out of reach. It’s built on community. It’s built on compassion. It’s built on the unshakable spirit of South Africans who choose to show up, again and again.
A better future starts with action like this .
And it’s already making all the difference.
by 