The Moti Cares Foundation kicked off its 2025 winter campaign at Katlehong Art Centre on Sunday, 15 June, handing over 800 blankets and 600 fresh loaves of bread to fill hungry stomachs and bring much-needed comfort as temperatures plummeted to 5°C and
lower.
Led by Zunaid Moti – the investor, philanthropist, and founder of the Moti Cares Foundation – this initiative forms part of a larger campaign which will see 20,000 blankets distributed to communities across the Gauteng province. Various stops along the route will further provide sealed food parcels, each thoughtfully assembled to address the most urgent needs identified by local organisers, as the Foundation seeks to deliver immediate relief, dignity, and hope to vulnerable communities in crisis.
Katlehong was selected following a public call for nominations in May and June that drew
dozens of submissions from civic groups, school principals, faith leaders, and compassionate members of the general public. Each nomination was reviewed under a strict vetting process by the Moti Cares Foundation team. Volunteers and media from surrounding local radio stations and newspapers lent a helping hand during this weekend’s handover, ensuring hundreds of blankets made it into deserving hands in just a couple of hours.
Moti said, “Input from the community has been overwhelming so far. Over the past month,
people have flocked to social media to tell us about their favourite organisations or about those most in need. We’ve received dozens of heart-wrenching messages that describe elderly people going to bed with one thin blanket and a night-gown, or even just a t-shirt. Stories like these strike at the heart in ways that are impossible to describe and motivate us to take this project further.”
The Moti Cares programme has been running strong for years, thousands of blankets and food items have been handed out across the country to date – with a notable moment of where the organisation distributed over two million food parcels in KwaZulu-Natal following the devastating riots in 2021. The programme has also provided other aid, including financial support, to several other charitable initiatives as the need has arisen.
The weekend’s efforts continued into Monday as the Moti Care Foundation distributed another 2,000 blankets to those facing severe hardship. In Langlaagte, 600 blankets and 300 loaves of bread reached families and individuals living in poverty, while another 1,200 blankets and loaves were delivered to needy residents in Vrededorp. The final 200 blankets were donated to some of Johannesburg’s most vulnerable – people experiencing homelessness – and to new mothers and children at the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital.
Moti confirmed the Foundation will rely on its public-nomination model to guide upcoming
outreach activities for the remainder of the drive, with Soweto among the next areas targeted for support.
“The need in local communities is more vast than many realise. That’s why we invite other
business leaders to partner with the non-profits working in this environment, and to give
whatever you can – every bit helps. As Moti Cares, we’re truly humbled to see the huge
difference that even one blanket or loaf of bread can make in someone’s life, so we hope to see more South Africans reach out and demonstrate their national spirit by showing kindness to others,” concludes Moti.