'Tis the season to be... giving the gift of hearing with MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet

Woolworths and MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet have partnered with the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and the Children's Hospital Trust to cover the costs of fitting these children with hearing aids. A further 3,000 children will also be screened to detect and treat auditory problems early on, preventing delays in their development and often ensuring full recovery.

Every time you swipe your card at Woolworths between 3 November and 24 December, you will make an additional contribution to this great cause.

Helene Brand, Marketing Manager of MySchool, says: "We welcomed this opportunity to partner with Woolworths on their Christmas charity campaign. As our leading retail partner, giving back to the community is very important to Woolworths and as Christmas is all about giving it makes sense to give a gift that will last a lifetime. Every day in South Africa, about 17 infants are born with, or will develop, hearing loss. However, a new programme has been launched to introduce speech-language therapy and audiology services for children making these critical services more accessible to communities. Simply by swiping their cards, shoppers can support this wonderful initiative and help give the priceless gift of hearing."

If you'd like to easily make a difference, all you need to do is to use your MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet card or linked Woolies card over the festive period - and in addition to the usual contribution that Woolworths makes to your beneficiary, a percentage of your purchase will go towards this excellent cause, without any extra cost to you.

Meet some of the children who have received the gift of hearing and had the opportunity to appear in a Woolworths shoot: