McDonald’s South Africa and Ronald McDonald House South Africa are advancing a new family lodge at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, helping parents remain near hospitalised children.
A soil-turning ceremony has marked the next stage in developing the planned Ronald McDonald House Mother’s Lodge, which will provide accommodation within the hospital grounds for parents and caregivers whose children are receiving medical treatment.
The initiative responds to a practical challenge faced by families who travel significant distances to access specialist healthcare: finding safe and supportive accommodation close to their children.
For families already dealing with the emotional pressure of a child’s hospitalisation, repeated travel can introduce additional financial and logistical difficulties.
The new lodge is intended to reduce those pressures by allowing caregivers to remain at the hospital for longer periods rather than repeatedly travelling between home and the facility.
“Every family deserves the opportunity to stay close to their sick child during the most difficult moments of their lives,” said Matshepo Msibi, CEO of Ronald McDonald House South Africa.
“The Mother’s Lodge at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital is an important step towards making that possible.”
Msibi said partnerships supporting the facility could help ease the burden experienced by families while allowing parents to remain part of their children’s medical journeys.
The project builds on an existing support programme at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.
Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms at the hospital have already supported 48,318 mothers, providing spaces where caregivers can rest and recharge while remaining close to children undergoing treatment. Meals and refreshments are also provided to help reduce some of the practical pressures families experience.
The planned lodge will extend that support from daytime facilities to accommodation within the hospital grounds.
Its location could be particularly significant for families facing high transport costs.
Research cited by the organisation and published in the Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management indicates that South African households spend an average of 16% of their total expenditure on transport.
In Gauteng, transport costs were reported to account for approximately 29% of per capita household income, rising to between 40% and 50% in peripheral townships.
McDonald’s South Africa is the founding partner of Ronald McDonald House South Africa and has committed its continued support to the initiative.
“At McDonald’s South Africa, we believe our responsibility extends beyond our restaurants,” said McDonald’s South Africa CEO Max Oliva.
“The Mother’s Lodge represents what can be achieved when businesses, communities and partners work together around a shared purpose.”
The development also coincides with Ronald McDonald House Charities South Africa adopting its new identity, Ronald McDonald House South Africa, while continuing its focus on keeping families close to children receiving medical treatment.
Following the soil-turning ceremony, completion of the Mother’s Lodge is targeted for March 2027.
Additional investment will be required to complete the facility, with businesses, individuals and communities being encouraged to participate.
A Buy-a-Brick fundraising initiative has been established to give members of the public and corporate partners an opportunity to contribute towards completing the lodge.
Once operational, the facility is expected to give more families access to accommodation close to their hospitalised children, extending an existing support system that has already reached tens of thousands of mothers at Chris Hani Baragwanath.
For families navigating a child’s medical treatment, the project’s impact ultimately comes down to something simple: reducing the distance between a sick child and the people they need beside them.
