This November, as the country marks National Children’s Day (1 Nov) and World Children’s Day (20 Nov), a growing coalition of civil-society groups, schools, businesses and youth leaders is issuing a simple but urgent challenge: do Just One Thing for a child. The campaign — led by the Hold My Hand movement — reframes a huge problem into a doable daily act: one reading corner added to an Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre; one nutritious food parcel bought for a family in need; one adult speaking up when they suspect abuse. One thing, multiplied across millions of people, becomes transformation.
“Children told us what they want: to feel safe, to be seen, listened to and supported,” says Angela Stewart-Buchanan, Communications Lead for Hold My Hand. “Most of all they want to participate — in decisions that affect their lives and in the practical actions that make their futures better.” That lived-experience focus is the engine of the campaign: children are not only beneficiaries but active contributors to the solutions that affect them. holdmyhand.org.za
Why one thing matters right now
South Africa faces a stark moment for its young people. Hold My Hand and partner organisations warn that some developmental gains for women, children and adolescents are slipping: increases in school bullying and violence, rising mental-health pressures among youth, and a labour market that risks offering fewer opportunities to a generation already battered by crises. Fractured public trust in institutions and stretched social services make national programmes necessary — but not sufficient. Hold My Hand’s strategic insight is behavioural: people stall when asked to solve everything; they act when asked to do one concrete thing they can manage.
The campaign also plugs into a unique global moment: South Africa has formally adopted Children20 (Children20) under its G20 Social Summit presidency, meaning children will have structured representation at the G20 Social Summit (18–20 Nov 2025). For the first time, children are being included as an engagement group in a G20 presidency process — a step Hold My Hand is helping to steward through national dialogue, thematic working groups, a Children20 pre-summit in mid-November and the drafting of a Children’s Declaration for handover to the President. It’s a rare chance for local actions to amplify into global commitments.
What “Just One Thing” looks like in practice
Hold My Hand offers practical, easy entry points for individuals, workplaces and organisations. Examples include:
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Create or add to a reading corner at an ECD centre or school.
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Sponsor a nutritious food parcel for a family in need.
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Volunteer an hour for a community screening or psychosocial support programme.
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Report suspected abuse; refuse to normalise bullying.
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Invite a child into a meaningful conversation and listen.
These small acts can be pledged publicly and shared using Hold My Hand’s mobilisation platforms — the campaign has a dedicated WhatsApp line for pledges and ideas, and a partner sign-up form for organisations that want to join the national network. Over 180 organisations have already signed on, from NGOs to civic groups and private-sector partners.
Children in the driver’s seat
What sets the campaign apart is its insistence on child participation. Ahead of the G20 Social Summit, children are working in thematic groups on issues that matter to them — health and wellbeing, digital and online safety, environment and climate, protection and inclusion. They will co-create inputs, attend a pre-summit and push for their priorities to be reflected in the declaration presented to national leaders. It’s a practical experiment in democratic inclusion — and a test of whether policy forums will actually listen.
Systems plus citizens: why both are needed
Hold My Hand supports the National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children and Teens (NSAAC) — a Presidency-led roadmap to put children at the centre of policy, budgeting and programming. But the campaign’s leaders make the point that government can’t do it alone. “Progress for children won’t come from government alone,” says Mesuli Kama, Network & Mobilisation Lead at Hold My Hand. “It takes parents, teachers, social workers, neighbours, artists, shopkeepers, faith leaders and businesses — everyone.” The message is clear: systemic reform plus everyday civic action equals accelerated results.
How you can join — and why you should
Hold My Hand invites all South Africans to pick one tangible action this month. Partners and individuals can register via the campaign’s mobilisation link and share their pledge publicly to inspire others. The campaign encourages sharing on social media, tagging Hold My Hand and submitting ideas that can be scaled by local networks. For those who prefer direct contact, Hold My Hand operates a WhatsApp mobilisation line that accepts pledges, offers resources and connects volunteers to local activities.
A call that refuses despair
The country’s challenges for children are immense — but Hold My Hand’s strategy is deliberately optimistic and practical. By turning the abstract into the concrete, and by centring children in both conversation and decision-making, the campaign aims to build momentum that outlasts a single month. “You don’t need to be a parent or a caregiver to take this call,” says Lebo Motshegoa, Content Lead for Hold My Hand. “Everyone can make a difference — even children themselves.”
This Children’s Month the question is both moral and tactical: what one thing will you commit to doing for the children you share a street, a classroom or a country with? A single act — measured, sustained and shared — can start a chain reaction. When thousands of South Africans each choose just one meaningful action, national narratives change, resources are focused and a generation gains a small but real head start. That’s the math of civic hope.
