An organisation that has transformed the lives of orphans and vulnerable children for more than 25 years has been named as one of two beneficiaries of this year’s SPAR Women’s Challenge in Gqeberha.

Ubuntu Pathways in Zwide township enjoys a phenomenal track record in nurturing children from cradle to career through its early childhood development and education programmes.

The organisation’s innovative system of education and health and household support has witnessed thousands of young people claiming the future they deserve.

Its service offering includes the Ubuntu School, which caters to students from Grade R through Grade 8, providing each child with a strong academic foundation.

A high school is currently being constructed to further extend its education reach.

Ubuntu also places great emphasis on empowering women, especially since the vast majority of its more than 100 staffers are female.

It works closely with other organisations for the purpose of counselling women in distress and providing a safe space for victims of gender-based violence (GBV).

“We work with the whole community, not only the children,” deputy principal Gcobani Zonke explained.

“The focus of our programme very much aligns with that of SPAR.”

The retailer’s advertising manager in the Eastern Cape, Roseann Shadrach, said it supported organisations that were equally committed in taking on GBV.

Ubuntu and LifeLine South Africa, the other beneficiary of the event dedicated to the wellness of women, falls into this category.

“Organisations that are devoted to the fight will benefit from the Women’s Challenge until we feel we have made enough of an impact,” she said.

With health a cornerstone of its philosophy, Ubuntu is no stranger to the race, which takes place on September 27 at its traditional Pollok Beach venue.

The institution religiously enters the Bay’s most beautiful road run every year.

Zonke never imagined that Ubuntu would receive a call from the family-friendly chain informing him that it had been named a recipient of the 2025 event.

“It made our day and we are very, very thankful. It’s an absolute windfall as we never even applied for this.”

The R50 000 pledge would be used to bolster the school’s robotics and coding programme through the provision of equipment, he said.

Less than a year ago, the school entered its first robotics competition and did so well that the team was invited to compete at the World Robotics Olympiad in Turkey in November 2024.

“We want to bridge the digital divide. Schools in our township don’t even have what we offer, so for us this programme it is very important,” Zonke said.

“This is very close to my heart because these children are solving real problems in the [technological] world in which we now live.”

LifeLine SA runs SPAR’s End GBV helpline while the retailer helps to maintain and improve call centre infrastructure.

It also ensures there are sufficient numbers of trained, professional counsellors to manage the volume of calls from people seeking counselling and guidance.

“We are so happy to have SPAR on board to help us try to end GBV,” LifeLine SA community development supervisor Tommy Mokgotla said.

“These funds are vital to our marketing initiatives. For example, we are getting more people connecting with us through our Facebook page.”

The numbers of calls received were somewhere between 300 and 400 per day, Mokgotla revealed.

“Unfortunately, the numbers are not going down. This is why we have to continue this fight.”

To enter the Gqeberha leg of the SPAR Women’s Challenge and support these organisations, visit www.sparwomenschallenge.co.za/gqeberha.