Because a child’s life is Priceless
St. Mary’s hospital supports 750 000 people in its area – most of whom are the poorest of the poor. The hospital relies on the community to help fund its daily hospital operations and, without corporate donations and investments, it would cease to operate. A large majority of these patients are HIV positive or have full blown Aids. St Mary’s is desperate for any funding to help these desperate people. The HIV infected babies and children they treat are often abandoned at the hospital because of the stigma of Aids and because the families don’t have money to care for them.

A Priceless thank-you

Since inception of the project in 2000, St Mary’s has touched the heart of not only the MasterCard staff, who travel down every year in their individual capacities to help, but the people of South Africa who have responded magnificently to the campaign.

To date the MasterCard programme has generated approximately R6 million for St Mary's Hospital. More importantly the campaign has raised awareness of St Mary's Hospital and educated an incalculable amount of people on all aspects of HIV/Aids. As a result of the campaign, direct donations from companies, individuals as well as from the community around St Mary's have been received. Thank-you to all the celebrities who have given their time, the people of South Africa who have reached deep into their pockets, the companies who have heard their plight and to everyone at 3Talk - without you none of this would have been possible. St. Mary’s Hospital is registered as a Public Benefit Organization under Section 18a of the South African Income Tax Act of 1962 (registration number: 18/11/13/1877).

How you can help! There are various ways to donate:

1. Go to the contacts page on the St Mary's website in order to donate or see how else you can help - you do not have to give money, time is as important. http://www.stmarys.co.za
2. sms the word "care" to 42602 to donate R30 - this amount will appear the following month on your mobile phone bill*
3. sms the word "care" to 31742 to donate R5 per month for twelve months - this amount will automatically appear on your bill every month*

*Please get permission from the bill payer first*