A toothbrush can be a luxury. A pair of shoes, an impossible dream. New clothes, unimaginable. This is the reality for millions of South African children, until 76,565 of them opened Santa Shoeboxes this year and discovered that strangers cared enough to choose gifts specifically for them. This year’s total marks an increase of…

In 2006, the Santa Shoebox Project began with a modest 180 shoeboxes in Cape Town, South Africa. Over the past 17 years, it has blossomed into an annual tradition of generosity and kindness, amassing an astonishing 1,152,587 shoebox donations. This heartwarming initiative now touches the lives of over 1,000 recipient facilities annually, employing a network…