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The NappyRun2025 at Johannesburg Zoo.
The National Council for Persons Living with Disability says many parents and caregivers struggle to provide necessities such as nappies. The organisation held a fun walk and wheel event at the Johannesburg Zoo to raise awareness and collect nappy donations for children and adults living with disabilities.
The initiative underscores how access to nappies can restore dignity, improve hygiene and health and unlock opportunities for education and inclusion. The Council calls on the government to come on board and support such initiatives.
Laughter and fun were the order of the day as families, students and caregivers commemorate Disability Rights Awareness month at the 14th annual Nappy Run.
The initiative aims to raise awareness of the barriers to inclusion that people and children living with disabilities encounter on a daily basis.
The National Council for Persons Living with Disability Programmes Manager, Danny Marais, says many children living with disabilities continue to rely on nappies well into their teens and adulthood with little to no financial support.
“When we started in 2011 we visited centres started by moms and grannies in the rural areas intercountry at large and we saw that the need for nappies was dire they were using pieces of cloth or no nappies at all which was very unhygienic and that’s when we thought we needed to do something years later hear we are doing these awareness campaigns,” says Marais.
Nappy Run 2025 in full swing!! 🏃♀️ 🏃♂️ 🧑🦽🧑🦼🧑🦯
We support over 2000 children with disabilities each year with nappies to allow freedom, comfort in school and dignity. 💜✨ #NappyRun2025 #Children #Disabilities #Support #Freedom #Comfort #School #Dignity pic.twitter.com/G7EFtG8e6j
— National Council of&for Persons with Disabilities (@TheNCPDZA) November 1, 2025
Families and caregivers say in order to give people living with disabilities a fair chance at all the opportunities, government policies must address the needs and challenges of society’s most vulnerable.
- “Coming from a background where my child almost died and is also living with disabilities, it is important to have a system where people come together to support them.”
- “I’m here to show support to people with disabilities and also to bring awareness of issues and to ensure that they feel welcome in communities, also allow them to be part of the things we do as an economy.”
- “I would like to see more awareness campaigns, funding and more schools.”
Marais says many children living with disabilities are unable to get proper schooling due to a lack of proper infrastructure in schools.
“Without an accessible school, even if you have a nappy and you are now able to go to school, and the school is mainstream but is not accessible because there are steps going up to the bathroom and stairs to the first floor and a child using a wheelchair will have access to the school. The teachers also do not have the necessary support skills from government to understand the different types of impairments,” says Marias.
The organisation encourages South Africans to spread the spirit of Ubuntu, one nappy at a time.
VIDEO | Annual Nappy Fun Run, Walk or wheel kicks off at Joburg Zoo
