Turning tragedy into transformation:
The Kimberley Hospital Burn Unit
Every year in South Africa, burn injuries claim the lives of thousands of children. Approximately 1,300 children between the ages of one and fourteen die from burns annually, and 3.2% of the entire population sustains burn wounds each year, amounting to over 1.6 million cases. For those living in under-resourced communities, where open fires are used for cooking and heating, and where access to healthcare is limited, the risk is even higher.
Behind these numbers are children, families, and communities trying to recover from one of the most traumatic experiences imaginable. Recovery from serious burn wounds is a physical, psychological, and emotional journey that can last a lifetime. What those children need, above all, is access to facilities and support that give them a genuine fighting chance.
That is precisely why Signature of Hope Trust committed itself to the complete refurbishment and expansion of the Burn Unit at Kimberley Hospital in the Northern Cape.
A night that made history
On 16 December 2018, a hundred of Cape Town’s most generous philanthropists gathered at The Test Kitchen, one of Africa’s top restaurants, for the inaugural Signature of Hope Gala Dinner. Multi award-winning chef Luke Dale Roberts and his celebrated protégés created an extraordinary evening of culinary excellence and entertainment, all in the service of a cause that could not be more urgent.
Together, those guests raised close to R1 million in a single evening.
The funds were directed to two of South Africa’s most dedicated children’s healthcare organisations: the Avela Foundation, committed to the physical and psychological recovery of child burn survivors, and the Smile Foundation, which transforms the lives of children with facial conditions including burns, cleft conditions, and rare medical disorders. Together, through the Trekking for a Cause campaign and ongoing fundraising, the full R2 million capital budget for the Kimberley Burn Unit refurbishment was ultimately reached.
What the refurbishment means on the ground
The Burn Unit at Kimberley Hospital serves the Northern Cape, one of South Africa’s most sparsely populated and least resourced provinces. Before the refurbishment, the unit was severely under-equipped to deal with the volume and severity of cases it received. Children arriving with serious burns were being treated in conditions that fell well short of what modern burn care demands.
The refurbishment changed that. New facilities, updated equipment, and expanded capacity have transformed the unit into a space where children can receive the quality of care they deserve. For children who have already endured so much, arriving in a clean, well-equipped, properly staffed unit is not a small thing. It signals that their lives matter, that their recovery matters, and that the system is capable of holding them.
Beyond the physical improvements, the project also funded the UMATTER programme run by the Avela Foundation, which provides psychological support and rehabilitation for burn survivors. Recovery of mind, body, and soul after serious burn wounds is a process that cannot be rushed or skipped. UMATTER walks alongside children through that journey, helping them rediscover their confidence and potential.
A model for what philanthropy can do
The Kimberley Burn Unit project is a powerful example of what Signature of Hope Trust was created to do. We do not simply write cheques. We identify urgent, evidence-based needs, partner with organisations that have proven track records and deep community relationships, and then bring together the generosity of our donor community to make meaningful, lasting change possible.
The Gala Dinner model proved that a single, beautifully conceived evening could mobilise extraordinary resources for extraordinary impact. It set a standard for how philanthropy can be done in South Africa, with full transparency, total accountability, and a direct line between the rand donated and the child helped.
Because of the people who walked into The Test Kitchen that December evening, children in the Northern Cape are recovering from burns in a facility worthy of their resilience. That is where hope turns into action.
Contact us
Suite 1002, The Colosseum, Foyer 3, Mezzanine level, 26 Century Boulevard, Century City, Cape Town, 7441
+27 21 201 1000
info@signatureofhope.org
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NPO Registration number: 196-195NPO | Public Benefit Organisation Registration number: 930044595 | Trust registration number: IT 1351/ 2013
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