Poverty Relief
People living in poverty bring determination, skills and aspirations to their lives. What is too often missing is the security and support to put those strengths to work. Your giving can help meet an urgent need today—and give people more room to plan, make choices and build a more secure tomorrow.
Why these charities?
Because no one should have to choose between food, a safe home and the chance to build a better life.
Knowing there will be food tonight. Having clean water and somewhere safe to sleep. Being able to get medical help without sacrificing another essential. These are the foundations of a secure life—yet millions of South Africans face each day without them.
Statistics South Africa estimates that 23.2 million people—37.9% of the population—lived below the lower-bound poverty line in 2023, facing difficult trade-offs between food and other essentials. Within that group, 10.8 million people lived below the food poverty line, without sufficient resources to meet basic food needs.
Poverty reaches into every part of life. Hunger can affect health and make learning harder. Unsafe housing can expose families to illness, violence and flooding. The cost of transport can put healthcare, education or a work opportunity out of reach. When several needs go unmet at once, each can make the others harder to overcome.
We chose this theme because poverty is experienced through interconnected challenges—and meaningful support must reflect that reality.
Our portfolio brings together a deliberately chosen mix of charities addressing different aspects of poverty, including nutritious food, healthcare, education and safer living conditions. Each tackles a different barrier; together, they offer donors a way to support both urgent needs and the foundations for greater stability.
Immediate relief matters. A meal, essential care or practical support can ease the pressure on a family today. Sustained support also matters: it can help people stay healthy, continue learning and pursue opportunities that would otherwise remain beyond reach.
Five charities, one mission: a fair start for everyone
Each organisation links to its full listing on the Helpmore Trust Index, where you can review its rating, story and impact. (EDITABLE HERE @JAMIE)
★ 10-Star Rated
The Lunchbox Fund
Fact: 25% of young children in SA suffer from stunting due to malnutrition
Who: The Lunchbox Fund helps vulnerable and food-insecure children in South Africa, Mozambique and Lesotho to get the education they desperately need to build a life free of poverty.
★ pending
The Big Issue Magazine
Fact: 33% of South Africans are unemployed
Who: The Big Issue is a well-known social enterprise magazine operating that help 17k people experiencing poverty, earn an income
★ 10-Star Rated
Haven Night Shelters
Fact: 55k people experience homelessness in SA
Who: The Haven helps 1400 homeless adults in the Western Cape back to a home, family and community. The organization works under the mission to get homeless adults back to a home, family, and community, with the vision that no one should have to live on the streets.
★ 10-Star Rated
Food Forward SA
Fact: 1/3 of all food produced in SA goes to landfill
Who: FoodForward SA connects a world of excess to a world of need by recovering quality edible surplus food from the consumer goods supply chain and distributing it to community organisations serving vulnerable populations.
★ pending
The Secret Love Project
Fact: 8.5 million South Africans are unemployed
Who: Innovative social upliftment program that spreads LOVE as a currency to empower the homeless to create an income. Vendors are issued HEART stickers free-of-charge, which they sell to earn a living.
Key statistics related to Poverty in South Africa
sources: Stats SA, Amnesty International
Vetted charities. Direct giving. Zero admin layers
By harnessing the power of crowdfunding, Helpmore collects a pool of monthly micro-donations, putting them together to make a meaningful contribution to the 5 charities in this Giving Portfolio. We pay these out direct to the charities monthly, with zero fees ensuring 100% of the donated money ends up where it is intended.
Every charity in this portfolio has been carefully selected for the vital work they do in reducing suffering in South Africa. Each has passed Helpmore's rigorous due diligence covering financial transparency, impact and independent governance. These can be verified by visiting their Trust Index listing.
Trust promise: if a charity in this portfolio ever falls short of our transparency criteria, it is removed from the Trust Index until rectified.
Give directly to Helpmore Poverty Relief Portfolio
Choose this portfolio and your donation goes straight to the charities doing the work, with no middle layer. Every organisation here is independently rated for transparency and governance.
Donate to this PortfolioThis Portfolio's Impact
Cumulative monthly impacts delivered by our Poverty Relief Portfolio
Where a generation's potential meets its hardest odds
Poverty is defined as the condition where individuals or communities lack sufficient financial resources and material possessions to meet their basic living needs, such as access to clean water, food and shelter.
Millions of South Africans live in multidimensional poverty; lacking a good education, proper healthcare, nutritious food or a safe place to live. To reflect this in the Helpmore Poverty Relief portfolio we have selected a mix of charities each solving these broad interconnected challenges in different ways.
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