Some mornings begin like any other.
Coffee poured. Notes scribbled. A quiet moment before stepping into a conversation you have had many times before. An update. A reflection. A chance to share progress.
When Marion, CEO of Breadline Africa, joined East Coast Radio this week, that is exactly what she expected.
A conversation about impact.
About what happens after the headlines fade and the work continues. About classrooms built, dignity restored and the slow, steady process of replacing unsafe pit toilets with something every child deserves – safety, privacy and care.
Because that is the reality of this work. It does not end when funding is received. That is where it begins.
Breadline Africa’s work in KwaZulu-Natal has been made possible through incredible partnerships, which include the continued support of LottoStar, whose commitment to addressing unsafe sanitation in schools is already changing conditions for hundreds of children.
Their decision to invest again reflects what is possible when partners back solutions that deliver real, visible impact.
Through this support, and in partnership with East Coast Radio’s Big Favour, significant progress has already been made. Last year’s donation of R859,500 enabled the replacement of unsafe pit toilets at a KwaZulu-Natal school with 13 low-flush toilets and 4 urinals.
The impact was immediate. Facilities that children had avoided out of fear were replaced with spaces that are safe, private and dignified. More than 220 learners now attend school without the daily anxiety of using unsafe sanitation.
And yet, the need remains urgent.
In KwaZulu-Natal alone, 167 schools have applied for support to replace pit toilets. Since 2023, only 31 schools have been reached. Nearly 50,000 learners are still waiting for safe sanitation. And these are only the schools that have come forward.
As the conversation on air unfolded, it followed a familiar rhythm. Questions. Answers. Stories of communities where conditions have changed, and of many more where the need remains.
And then, a shift.
A pause.
Not to reflect on what had been done – but to share something new.
In that moment, live on air, the script changed.
What was meant to be an update became a surprise. A gift. A continuation of belief.
Live on air, Darren Maule from East Coast Radio announced an additional R1,847,500 to continue the work of eradicating unsafe sanitation in schools.
As Maria Pavli, CMO of LottoStar explained, “You can see it, feel it and know it is changing children’s lives in a very real way.”
Moments like this carry weight. Not only because of the scale of the contribution, but because of what it represents.
A decision to continue.
A decision to act again.
A decision grounded in evidence that the work delivers real outcomes.
You can imagine the silence that follows news like that. Not the empty kind – the kind that holds emotion. Gratitude. Relief. The quiet recognition of what this really means.
“Moments like this remind us that we are not doing this work alone,” Marion reflected afterwards. “It is partnerships like these that allow us to keep going, to reach more children and to do it with dignity and care.”
Because this is not just about infrastructure.
It is about the child who no longer has to choose between fear and going to the bathroom.
It is about the teacher who can focus on teaching instead of worrying about safety.
It is about communities who know they have not been forgotten.
The role of East Coast Radio’s Big Favour in bringing this conversation to a wider audience is also significant. It is through platforms like this that stories of impact are shared, partnerships are strengthened and new opportunities for support can emerge.
For Breadline Africa, this moment is both affirmation and responsibility.
Affirmation that the model works. That when funding is received, implementation follows, and conditions change quickly.
And responsibility, because the scale of the need remains vast.
For Marion, it was unexpected. For all of us, it was deeply moving.
And for the children who will benefit from this next chapter – it changes everything.
Again.
There is still so much to be done. If you feel moved to be part of this journey, Marion would love to hear from you at [email protected]
