by Gary Williamson | Aug 7, 2026 | Impact Updates, iPoint x BackaBuddy, Organisation & Charity Fundraising Tips, Organisations and Charities
Mandela Day asks people to give 67 minutes. In Cape Town, two organisations turned that idea into a clear health goal: connect 670 people with care in a single day.
Falling Forward Foundation and The Impilo Project planned a community healthcare day at Marconi Beam Primary School in Joe Slovo. Doctors, medical students, counsellors, community workers, volunteers and partner organisations would work alongside one another so that patients could access more than a basic screening. The planned services included general consultations, women’s health support, TB and HIV screening and education, dental care, mental-health support, nutrition guidance, social services and referral pathways. The approach recognised a reality many communities know well: transport costs, waiting times and overcrowded services can delay care until a concern becomes serious.
The campaign was designed to cover the practical resources behind the day and help collaboration reach further. It is a reminder that service is not only measured in minutes. It can also be measured in people who are seen, listened to and connected with the next step in their care.
What people made possible
- The initiative set a goal of serving 670 patients in one day.
- Multiple health and support services were brought together in one place.
- The partnership builds on The Impilo Project’s community-based healthcare work.
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BackaBuddy brings verified community stories to life. iPoint helps those stories reach people in everyday public spaces. Together, we are helping good news travel further while keeping people and communities at the heart of every story.
by Gary Williamson | Aug 7, 2026 | Impact Updates, iPoint x BackaBuddy
Every race lasts only seconds, but a young athlete’s journey is built over years. For 15-year-old Aquila Julies, those years began in Oudtshoorn. A former Van Reede School learner now attending Hoërskool Outeniqua on a sports scholarship, Aquila competes in the 100m, 200m and 400m. He has earned school and provincial colours and represented his province more than once.
His progress led to selection for the World Wide Scholarship Western Cape Schools Athletics Tour to Europe, an opportunity to race international competitors and experience high-performance environments beyond South Africa.
The invitation brought pride and a practical challenge. Travel at this level requires funding that many families cannot carry alone. Aquila’s campaign invites supporters to help make the tour possible, giving a disciplined young runner the chance to learn, compete and return with experience that can shape the next part of his journey.
What people made possible
- Aquila has represented his province and earned a school sports scholarship.
- The tour offers international competition and high-performance exposure.
- Community support helps translate selection into participation.
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If this story stayed with you, you can view the campaign and decide whether you would like to share it or support it. View the campaign
BackaBuddy brings verified community stories to life. iPoint helps those stories reach people in everyday public spaces. Together, we are helping good news travel further while keeping people and communities at the heart of every story.
by Gary Williamson | Aug 7, 2026 | Impact Updates, iPoint x BackaBuddy, Organisation & Charity Fundraising Tips, Organisations and Charities
Sometimes support begins with a table, a few art materials and the feeling that you are welcome exactly as you are.
Die Anties Bring Hope, led by Mariëtte Beukes and her team, hosts creative sessions for women in rural and farming communities. The workshops are designed to be accessible, even for someone who has never thought of herself as artistic. The aim is not a perfect picture. It is a pause from pressure, a chance to connect and a reminder that joy can still be found in ordinary things.
The movement grew during years in which drought and financial strain weighed heavily on farming families. Its team has travelled from town to town, often carrying much of the cost themselves, while donors help fund art packs and free participation.
In one year, the project reached hundreds of women across more than a dozen towns. Each workshop is small enough to feel personal, but together they form a wider message: creativity can open a door to conversation, hope and community.
What people made possible
- Workshops are free to participants through donor support.
- Accessible creative activities help women pause and connect.
- The travelling format brings the experience to communities rather than asking women to travel far.
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If this story stayed with you, you can view the campaign and decide whether you would like to share it or support it. View the campaign
BackaBuddy brings verified community stories to life. iPoint helps those stories reach people in everyday public spaces. Together, we are helping good news travel further while keeping people and communities at the heart of every story.
by Gary Williamson | Aug 7, 2026 | Impact Updates, iPoint x BackaBuddy, Organisation & Charity Fundraising Tips, Organisations and Charities
Tembe Elephant Park is known for its ancient sand forest, quiet roads and some of South Africa’s largest elephants. Yet the story of the reserve is also a story about people and place.
Set on ancestral land in Maputaland, the park is co-owned and managed by the Tembe community, with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife overseeing ecological management. The lodge draws staff from surrounding communities, and tourism revenue supports local employment and development.
That shared model changes the meaning of a safari. A visitor’s stay is connected to the people who welcome them, the livelihoods around the reserve and the long work of protecting a distinctive ecosystem.
The Tembe Elephant Park Development Trust offers its community another way to support that relationship. It helps keep attention on the human foundations of conservation: local opportunity, community leadership and a future in which protecting wildlife and strengthening neighbouring communities are part of the same plan.
What people made possible
- The park operates on ancestral land with community ownership and management.
- Tourism creates local work and supports development.
- The model connects conservation outcomes with the wellbeing of surrounding communities.
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If this story stayed with you, you can view the campaign and decide whether you would like to share it or support it. View the campaign
BackaBuddy brings verified community stories to life. iPoint helps those stories reach people in everyday public spaces. Together, we are helping good news travel further while keeping people and communities at the heart of every story.
