A donation of more than £30,000 from Spar UK has helped a community group in South Africa deliver life-changing programmes and projects.
The community group, It Belongs To Me NPC, was founded more than a decade ago in the city of Rustenburg, which sits around 60 miles west of the South African capital, Pretoria. Dedicated to empowering vulnerable women, men and children, it addresses challenges such as period poverty, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and educational inequality.
Spar UK’s partnership with It Belongs To Me NPC began at the 2024 Spar national conference in Sun City, where attendees were inspired by the groups’s founder, Khumo Phalatse, and her story of resilience, determination, and passion for creating opportunities in her community.
The donation has helped renovate a previously modest facility into a vibrant hub for learning and community engagement, creating a new library which now provides educational materials and career workshops and serves as a beacon of opportunity for local youth and women. The funding will also support volunteers who have undergone training in counselling and youth development, ensuring the organisation has the skilled support needed to sustain its programmes. Spar UK also donated books, toys, stationery and toiletries to the group.
Khumo Phalatse, Founder of It Belongs To Me, said: “This donation has transformed not just our centre, but the lives of so many in our community. What began as a small spark of hope has now grown into a vibrant space of safety, learning, and healing. Thanks to everyone who attended the Spar UK conference in Sun City, we have created something that will last – a place that inspires and empowers those who need it most.”
The donation has also funded a number of programmes, including a career awareness campaign that introduces young learners to diverse career paths; a Women’s Day event focused on empowerment and healing; an anti-bullying and substance abuse campaign for primary school students; social media safety workshops for high school learners; and a clothing drive providing essentials to families in need.
