Pietermaritzburg, South Africa – On Sunday, 8 June 2025, Graham Wells will run his 8th Comrades Marathon — barefoot — to raise vital funds for the PMB Homeless Network (PMBHN). His mission? To raise R60,000 to provide 2,000 warm meals for those without food or shelter this winter in Pietermaritzburg.
The 2025 Comrades Marathon, covering 89.98 kilometres (55.95 miles) from Pietermaritzburg City Hall to Durban’s People’s Park, is a test of endurance — but for Graham, it’s also a powerful act of empathy.
“Running barefoot puts me, even briefly, in the shoes of those who don’t have any,” says Graham. “It’s uncomfortable, painful even, but it’s a reminder — every single step — of why I’m doing this. For those who walk the streets every day, cold and unseen.”
As of 28 May, Graham has raised R6,288 from 13 donors through his BackaBuddy campaign, Run for a Roof 2025. Each meal costs just R30, and the team’s aim is to serve 2,000 meals as a first step toward long-term support.
“We all understand the comfort of a warm meal,” says Graham. “This isn’t just about feeding hunger — it’s about restoring hope and dignity.”
Graham, who is 48 years old and currently based in the UK, began his charity running journey in 2009 at the New York Marathon. Since 2016, he has completed multiple Comrades Marathons for charity, running barefoot each year — except in 2019, when he ran in shoes to raise funds for Niqi During, a young woman living with cystic fibrosis, and in 2020, when he did not run due to injury, despite the race going virtual that year. In 2021, fully recovered, he completed a solo barefoot virtual Comrades from Mooi River to Pietermaritzburg, continuing his commitment to making a difference for others.
This year’s campaign builds on Graham’s long-running support of the PMB Homeless Network, the first initiative of its kind in the region. After years of fundraising to restore the city’s first permanent homeless shelter, he is now focused on the next critical step: making sure no one inside goes to bed hungry.
The PMB Homeless Network doesn’t just offer shelter — it provides a pathway out of homelessness. Through structured rehabilitation, reintegration, and community building, the network aims to rebuild lives from the ground up.
“We strive to build more than a shelter,” says the PMBHN team. “We aim to reconstruct lives, empower individuals, and shape a community where everyone has a place to call home.”
With the shelter now near completion and a vegetable garden already established, Graham’s 2025 goal is to help launch a feeding scheme that will supply 2,000 nourishing meals — meals that mean survival, but also dignity and care.
One moment that continues to inspire Graham came during a World Homeless Day outreach in 2022:
“A man — weak from low blood sugar — clung to a sealed ice cream like it was all he had,” he recalls. “I was simply trying to help him sit up more comfortably, but even then, he instinctively pulled it back. It showed me just how much trust is lost when someone’s lived on the edge for too long. That moment has stayed with me.”
Despite the physical toll, Graham returns to the road — barefoot — year after year.
“I’ve told myself many times I wouldn’t run barefoot again. But then I see the impact — the awareness, the donations, the people it touches. That’s why I keep going — until we’re no longer needed.”
Donations of any amount are welcome. Supporters wishing to make a tax-deductible contribution can request a Section 18A certificate by emailing [email protected]. For those who cannot donate, Graham asks only that they help by sharing the campaign.
“You don’t need money to make a difference. Even the smallest act of kindness can go a long way in someone’s life.”
In a world where childhood cancer turns families’ lives upside down, a spirited herd from all over the world are lacing up, diving in, and moo-ving mountains — one race, one challenge, one campaign at a time. They are The Cows — and they’re not just fundraising, they’re doing it with heart, humour, and a whole lot of cowbell.
Since 2008, this animated crew has rallied behind CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa, helping ensure that children and teens fighting cancer get the care and comfort they deserve. With every event they take on, The Cows live by their motto: Love Living Life — and use every opportunity to give back.
Why CHOC Matters
CHOC is there when it counts most — making sure no child or teen faces cancer alone. While doctors handle the treatment, CHOC wraps families in care and support.
They offer:
A safe place to stay near hospitals
Nutritious meals to keep little fighters strong
Help with transport for long journeys
Emotional support for parents and kids
Bright, kid-friendly hospital spaces
Training for early diagnosis
CHOC keeps families together, spirits lifted, and hope alive — with help from champions like The Cows.
The Cows: Turning Athletic Spirit into Action
What began as a small group has grown into a nationwide movement. The Cows show up at races, swims, rides, and endurance events, dressed head-to-hoof in cow gear, armed with infectious enthusiasm and a fierce will to make a difference. They’ve made it their mission to turn every sporting challenge into a fundraising opportunity for CHOC.
At this year’s aQuellé Midmar Mile in February 2025, 54 Cow champions dived into action and raised an incredible R228,000 through BackaBuddy. Each campaign, big or small, became a ripple of hope. Swimmers dedicated their efforts to children they’d never met, but whose battles had touched their hearts.
“We don’t do this for glory,” shared one long-time Cow. “We do it because we’ve seen what CHOC does for families. If our running shoes and swim caps can help even one child stay with their family through treatment, it’s worth every blister.”
Charging Toward Comrades 2025: One Step, One Smile, One Story at a Time
The Cows are now gearing up for the ultimate challenge: the Comrades Marathon 2025 on 9 June. With their tails wagging and cowbells ringing, they’ll hit the road dressed in signature black-and-white suits — but their eyes are fixed on something far beyond the finish line.
Every kilometre run is a message to the children of CHOC: we see you, we support you, and we believe in your future.
But they can’t do it alone.
How You Can Help
Whether you’re an athlete, a supporter on the sidelines, or someone who simply believes in doing good, there’s a place for you in this story. You can:
Make a donation to support The Cows and CHOC
Cheer on a Cow champion
Start your own fundraising campaign for CHOC through BackaBuddy
Location: Cape Town or Remote (South Africa-based)
Sector: Crowdfunding | Social Impact | Performance Marketing
Reports into: COO
Direct reports: 4
Exco level position
Type: Full-time | Salary: R50 000 – R70 000 depn.
Start date: ASAP but flexible for the right person
BackaBuddy is South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform for personal and charitable causes. We’re a two sided marketplace where trust and peer-to-peer engagement drive exponential impact.
We believe in the power of stories backed by results. That impact isn’t just something you support — it’s something you can see, measure, and grow. This is where you come in.
We’re looking for a Head of Marketing who’s driven by purpose but obsessed with performance. Someone who understands how evidence of impact drives future funding — and is able to build the systems that prove that impact at scale.
Your Mission: Build a Growth Engine Fueled by Proof of Impact
As Head of Marketing, your core responsibility is maximising the value and impact of what people achieve through BackaBuddy. That’s gathering, curating and sharing the 1000’s of incredible stories of how ‘People are powerful’ when we act together. Our aim, to massively broaden BackaBuddy’s brand as the first call for people to raise the funds they need and see the impact. How? By solidifying our image as the most trusted, successful, and transparent crowdfunding platform in South Africa.
You’ll lead a multidisciplinary team that transforms campaign milestones into powerful content, ensuring that every donor receives clear, timely, and emotive proof of the change they helped create. And by doing that, you’ll convert once-off donors into recurring contributors to social good.
The metal of our new Head of Marketing:
You’ll have experience in growing two-sided marketplaces or digital platforms, ideally where trust and peer-to-peer engagement drive exponential growth.
You’ll have worked hand-in-hand with product and engineering teams to translate user insights into features, and features into growth. You’ll be comfortable owning messaging, onboarding, and feature adoption KPIs.
You’ll demonstrate understanding of behavioral economics, habit-forming design, and community-led growth strategies that build intrinsic motivation among donors and campaigners.
You’ll be comfortable designing and testing trust systems, including campaign validation mechanisms, donor recognition and social proof features — not just messaging.
You will have studied or contributed to international crowdfunding/giving platforms and can intelligently localize those insights for African markets.
You’ll be able to lead B2B2C marketing — helping integrate giving into banking, retail, and healthcare ecosystems via APIs, widgets, or white-label tech.
You’ll be comfortable being a public-facing evangelist — speaking at events, engaging the media, and building BackaBuddy’s profile as Africa’s leading giving infrastructure.
The basic experience required:
Have 10+ years in marketing or related experience with
5 years in team leadership.
Quantitative KPI’s will include:
% of donors receiving meaningful campaign updates
Growth in recurring donors and donor lifetime value
Increases in platform traffic and successful fundraising campaigns
Growth in brand recognition in SA and globally
What We Offer:
A fast-moving, fast growing (100%pa) purpose-driven company with a team of 32 people, 5 of us dedicated to marketing.
The opportunity to deploy your knowledge to achieve massive directly measurable impact.
Having creative freedom backed by excellent technology and team.
A culture of transparency, collaboration, and continuous growth
To apply:
Send us: – your CV – a brief cover letter including what inspires you to work with us – portfolio with your best work and, – your best GPT convo (prompt + output: the one that made you pause) to [email protected]
NB: Thank you for taking the time to submit your application. Please note ONLY candidates that are selected for an interview will be contacted further.
In the heart of Franschhoek, surrounded by vineyards and dreams, a wedding and events coordinator, Eldorét Visser (38), was living what seemed to be a fairy-tale life. Newly married and mother to a beautiful baby girl named Olivia (19 months), she was juggling the demands of motherhood and a thriving career at Rickety Bridge Wine Estate, until life took an unimaginable turn.
In August 2024, just weeks before Olivia’s first birthday, Eldorét discovered a lump in her left breast. “I thought it was a clogged milk duct from breastfeeding,” she shared. But her father, Joe Breytenbach (79), an orthopaedic surgeon, urged her to get it checked. What followed was a whirlwind of tests, biopsies, and devastating news.
Pictured above:Eldorét Visser with her husband, Jaandri, and their beautiful baby girl, Olivia
“On 16 September 2024, I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. I remember sitting in the doctor’s chair, clutching my husband Jaandri’s (30) hand, unable to stop the tears. It felt so unfair.”
While raising a toddler and planning weddings for other families, Eldorét quietly endured months of aggressive chemotherapy, first one session every three weeks for four months, followed by weekly sessions for 12 weeks. “Each session came with nausea, exhaustion, mouth sores, and an immune system that couldn’t keep up. But there’s no chance to rest with an 18-month-old at your feet.”
As if fate hadn’t dealt a heavy enough blow, her father was diagnosed with colon cancer midway through her treatment. Genetic testing, an R8,000 cost not covered by medical aid, confirmed a high likelihood of recurrence. The news prompted Eldorét to make a gut-wrenching but lifesaving decision: a double mastectomy with advanced reconstructive surgery.
The surgery, a 9 to 12-hour oncoplastic procedure, was performed on 5 May 2025. “I was incredibly anxious leading up to it. They removed the tumour, drained lymph nodes, harvested fat cells from my abdomen, and reconstructed my breasts. I spent three days in ICU battling nausea, low blood pressure, and fainting spells. But I pulled through.”
Pictured above:Eldorét with her mum, Madi Breytenbach
She was discharged on day six. Movement remained restricted, and she could no longer lift Olivia or drive. Her parents stayed to help with school runs and house chores. On 21 May, doctors confirmed: “All the wounds are healing. There’s no evidence of cancer. I’m well on the road to recovery.”
Eldorét’s physical transformation was only part of the battle. “Cancer is as much in your head as it is in your body. I started antidepressants and leaned on loved ones. Losing my hair was one of the hardest parts, it felt like losing part of my identity. I wore a wig to work because no bride wants to see a sick wedding coordinator.”
Through it all, she remained anchored by her faith, her husband, and her daughter. “I waited 38 years for a baby, and Olivia is our greatest joy. Spending time with her kept me focused.”
Still, the cost of survival was staggering, over R500,000. Her upgraded medical aid covered just 15%. In desperation, a friend named Chantelle White (40) encouraged her to launch a campaign on BackaBuddy. “I was too proud to ask for help. But Chantelle said, ‘You’ll be supported.’ And she was right. I wept with every notification. The funds enabled me to pay my surgeon and go for surgery. I was blown away.”
Pictured above:Eldorét holding baby Olivia wears her wig with quiet strength after bravely losing her hair.
With the help of 86 incredible donors, Eldorét’s campaign raised over R79,000, exceeding her R70,000 goal.
To those who contributed, Eldorét says:
“Thank you seems like such an insignificant word to express my gratitude, you have changed my life and given me more time with my daughter. For that, I cannot thank you enough.”
Looking ahead, Eldorét hopes to use her experience to raise awareness around breast health. “God carried me through this. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I want my story to bring hope to others who are still fighting.”
Thanks to the generosity of strangers, the support of her family, and her own unyielding courage, Eldorét has defied the odds, and is now cancer-free, embracing a future she once feared she wouldn’t see.
“I believe I’m destined to be the best Mom, wife, and woman I can be, and now, I finally have the chance to be her.”
In 2018, South Africans—and supporters from around the globe—rallied behind the Trevor Noah Foundation’s very first major crowdfunding campaign for #GivingTuesdaySA. This wasn’t just a fundraiser; it was a movement, igniting hope and affirming the belief that education is the most powerful tool we have to break the cycle of poverty and build a brighter, more inclusive South Africa.
That same year, comedian Trevor Noah launched the Trevor Noah Foundation (TNF) with a bold vision: to see every generation of South Africans empowered through quality education to rise above their circumstances and build on the progress of those before them. At the heart of this vision was a deep commitment to the youth—especially those facing some of life’s toughest challenges.
TNF’s pilot programme began at New Nation School in Vrededorp, a spirited and resilient government school that continues to thrive against the odds. Many of its learners come from vulnerable backgrounds, including poverty, abandonment, and even statelessness. Yet, they show up, work hard, and dream big.
Thanks to generous donor support, the Foundation was able to invest in vital areas like digital literacy, infrastructure upgrades, and teacher development. These contributions gave learners access to the tools and training they need to thrive in a fast-changing world. By creating a nurturing learning environment with skilled, compassionate educators, TNF laid the foundation for lasting change.
To amplify the campaign’s success, Trevor Noah personally pledged to match every donation—rand for rand—up to R2 million. This heartfelt gesture didn’t just double the impact; it inspired thousands to step up and be part of something meaningful. While special incentives like signed books and VIP experiences added to the excitement, it was the shared belief in the life-changing power of education that truly united supporters.
Together, donors raised R153 000 during the 2018 #GivingTuesdaySA campaign—a significant and meaningful contribution that set the stage for years of impact. More than just a number, it represented thousands of acts of kindness, moments of generosity, and a shared commitment to a better tomorrow.
The success of this campaign marked the beginning of a powerful journey. Donors became co-creators of a legacy that continues to grow—supporting TNF’s mission to achieve a 100% transition rate for matric students into further education. Because of that first spark, countless learners now walk a path paved with possibility.
Years later, the ripples of that first campaign are still being felt. It proved that when we come together and invest in education, we plant seeds of opportunity, resilience, and hope—for today, and for generations to come.
Donate to a campaign that inspires you and join a community of donors make a difference
In 2020, cricketer JP Duminy launched the Be Someone’s Tomorrow campaign in support of the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR), calling on the public to help patients fighting life-threatening blood disorders access the stem cell transplants they urgently needed. What followed was an extraordinary outpouring of compassion. Through the BackaBuddy platform, generous donors came together to raise R2 800 towards the R300 000 goal — a heartfelt reminder that even the smallest contributions can spark immense hope and change lives.
For donors, this campaign went beyond a festive season appeal — it became a personal mission to offer second chances to those who had run out of options. Every contribution, whether large or small, helped ease the burden on patients and their families. Many South Africans, especially those without medical aid, simply cannot afford the high costs associated with finding a matching donor. Thanks to the generosity of donors, the SABMR’s Patient Assistance Programme was able to cover expenses such as donor recruitment, tissue typing, and transplant-related medical bills.
What moved so many to support the campaign was its deeply human focus. Donors weren’t just giving to a cause — they were giving to real people: an 11-year-old girl, a mother, a grandfather. Behind every rand donated was a heartfelt belief that no one should be denied the chance to live because of financial barriers. The idea of families spending Christmas in hospital instead of around a table with loved ones resonated deeply with many supporters, particularly during the emotional highs and lows of the holiday season.
The campaign also sparked much-needed awareness around the lack of ethnic representation on the bone marrow registry. Many donors were alarmed to learn how poorly represented people of colour are on the SABMR database — with coloured, black, and Indian donors collectively making up less than 30% of the registry. This imbalance means that patients of colour face much slimmer odds of finding a match. For many supporters, this knowledge became a turning point, prompting them to not only donate but also sign up as potential donors themselves.
Donors were instrumental in shifting this reality. Their support didn’t just help individuals in crisis — it sent a wider message about equity, representation, and the power of community. By funding critical searches and treatments, they helped ensure that patients from all walks of life were given a fighting chance, regardless of their financial means or background.
The Be Someone’s Tomorrow campaign was a reminder of what’s possible when compassion leads the way. It proved that when donors rally together with purpose, lives are saved, hope is restored, and families are reunited. Today, the impact of their kindness continues to echo through every successful transplant and every patient who got to go home — because someone, somewhere, chose to care.
For those who were part of the journey in 2020, the results speak for themselves: your generosity changed lives.
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