Vodacom has launched ConnectForChange, a Trust and donation platform that enables customers to donate their airtime and/or cash to a worthy cause, with the aim of connecting them for a better future.
The donations, which will be facilitated through an independent Trust will be directed to verified and approved beneficiaries. At launch, Vodacom and the ConnectForChange trustees identified and selected The Lunch Box Fund (LBF) as its first beneficiary. Founded in 2005, LBF is an organisation that has responded to the hunger crisis faced by millions of school going children in South African. The LBF is the only national organisation that offers turnkey nutritional solutions as a foundation to learning across all education settings in South Africa.
A hungry child cannot learn
The brain, like any other part of the human body requires energy to function properly. Children experiencing hunger are more likely to have problems with memory and concentration because they do not have the energy to carry out these functions. Malnutrition can also affect sleeping patterns, making a child too tired to function well during a full day of school.
Since 2005 the Lunchbox Fund (LBF) has responded to the education crisis faced by millions of children in South Africa by offering targeted nutrition in school and pre-school settings. LBF is currently reaching 30,000 food-insecure children each school day nationwide. Our nutrition offers a behavioural incentive for children to attend school and enables them to concentrate and learn while there. The LBF work in all provinces and settings: urban, peri-urban and rural; reaching children in pre-schools, primary and secondary schools and through after-school programs.
How do I make a donation?
- You can make a donation via the VodaPay app, USSD (*103#), a bank transfer or at your nearest Vodacom store.
- If you are a Prepaid customer, the donation amount will be deducted from your pre-paid airtime balance.
- For Hybrid (TopUp) and Postpaid (Contract) customers, the donation amount will be added to your contract bill at the end of the month. Your donation will appear as Vodacom Donation on your Contract Invoice. Please consult your tax or financial advisor for specific questions about your donation. All ConnectForChange donations are tax-deductible.
- Your donation is immediate and cannot be reversed. Accordingly, ConnectForChange cannot refund or cancel a donation that you have already made.
- As a Contract customer, you may make a fixed donation amount of R2 / R5 / R10 or R50. As a Prepaid & Hybrid (Top-Up) customer, you may make a fixed donation amount of R1 or R2.
- All customers can donate their Vodabucks in the VodaPay App towards a meal hamper that will be distributed by The Lunchbox Fund.
- For now, you cannot donate using your data, but can only donate your airtime.
