Laughter Heroes was started by the Reach For A Dream Foundation (RFAD) in 2007, it is a initiative dedicated to bringing therapeutic entertainment to vulnerable children in hospitals across South Africa.

Formerly known as Jabulani Kingdom, this initiative is grounded in clinical research, demonstrating that laughter and fun can significantly reduce anxiety, alleviate medical procedure related pain, and enhance psychological well-being.

The Laughter Heroes program focuses on introducing therapeutic entertainers into hospital wards. Leveraging arts-based activities like comedy, juggling, magic, music, mime, and storytelling. The program aims to restore and enhance the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of children and their caregivers. Laughter Heroes create laughter, joy and a sense of wonder. They offer these children not just a momentary distraction from their pain and sadness, but also a chance to smile as well as finding new sources of courage and hope.

Since its inception, Laughter Heroes has provided therapeutic care to approximately 234,955 children throughout South Africa. In 2023 alone our Laughter Heroes brought smiles to the faces of 11 085 children, with a significant presence in oncology wards and among those battling life-threatening illnesses. Each one of these smiles represents a moment of triumph over adversity, a testament to the healing power of laughter.

This impactful project is made possible by the generosity of our donor Sandvik.