Raising Hope
Giving back
Giving back, philanthropy and kindness have always been close to Chad’s heart. It was back in 2018 that Chad first realised the true power of social media and the incredible impact his platform could have on changing someone’s life. After meeting a young boy named Lutando on the side of the road and learning about his daily struggles, Chad shared a couple of heartfelt videos asking his audience to help. Within just a few hours, his followers rallied together and raised an incredible R30,000 to help Lutando further his education. That was the moment Chad realised his platform could be used for something far greater than just sharing his adventures.
Fast-forward to 2020, when COVID-19 brought all his work to a standstill, and Raising Hope truly came to life. After obtaining a media permit through the Cape Jewish Chronicle, Chad began visiting disadvantaged communities, documenting the harsh realities people were facing. Through BackaBuddy and the generosity of his audience, hundreds of thousands of rands were raised within days, with close to R1 million raised by the end of the pandemic. These funds went directly to NGOs and informal soup kitchens doing incredible work across Cape Town, Johannesburg and other parts of South Africa.
Since then, Chad has continued using his platform to give back, from his F*ck Cancer campaign, which raised over R80,000 for The DL Link, to launching an Am Yisrael Chai bracelet initiative following the events of October 7, 2023. With incredible support from the South African Jewish community, the bracelets raised R250,000, which was donated to the South African Zionist Federation. Chad also ran the London Marathon in support of Afrika Tikkun, continuing to combine his love for running with his passion for giving back.
Most recently, his campaign for Uncle Sydney, a homeless man he met on the streets of Cape Town, raised over R500,000 in just one week, bringing together brands, businesses and thousands of strangers to help transform one man’s life.
And this is only the beginning. For Chad, Raising Hope has always been about one simple thing: using the platform he has built to make a real difference in the lives of others, one act of kindness at a time.
What people are saying
- Watch what News24 had to say about the first week of Raising Hope in lockdown.
- See what the SA Jewish Report wrote about Chad documenting Cape Town’s lockdown.
- Check out Chad’s lockdown photo story in the Cape Jewish Chronicle.
- Read what Good Things Guy has to say about Raising Hope and the feeding schemes it backed.
- See how Social TV covered the campaign passing R600,000.
- Read the SA Jewish Report on how a storm run turned into a miracle for Uncle Sydney.
- See what Briefly had to say when Chad surprised Uncle Sydney with the news.
- Follow Uncle Sydney getting his new wheels on Briefly.
- Read all of Good Things Guy’s stories about Chad, from the lockdown feeding schemes to his friendship with Uncle Sydney.
- Get to know Chad in the Cape Jewish Chronicle profile, “It all began with a camcorder”.
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