Philanthropist and founder of Connectedor, Dora Rapai, has added another accolade to her growing list of achievements after being honoured at the Olympus International Awards South Africa.

These awards celebrate inspirational leaders who are impacting lives and are seen as role models in their areas of expertise or their communities.

Held on July 4 in Pretoria, the ceremony featured three main categories: The Hera Award for women, the Zeus Award for men and the Hermes Award for youth leaders.

Dora received the Hera Award in recognition of her selfless leadership through Connectedor, an organisation dedicated to empowering vulnerable children and young people.

Through the organisation, she distributes sanitary pads to schoolgirls who often miss classes due to period poverty and provides free swimming lessons to children to promote water safety.

As a Mathematics and Science teacher by profession, she is also passionate about encouraging young girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, believing there is still a significant gender gap in these fields.

This is not the first time her work has been recognised. In 2024, she received the Kindness Ambassador Award at the Women of Wonder Awards, while in 2023 she was honoured with the Women of Purpose Award.

“I feel very honoured and humbled to have my work recognised as far as Pretoria,” she said.

Looking ahead, she hopes to establish a community centre in Roodepoort that will serve as a safe haven for children. The centre would provide career guidance, homework support, life skills development, and a safe space where young people can express themselves, learn and grow.

Additionally, for her upcoming project in August for Women’s Month, Dora is collecting 1 500 packets of sanitary pads, and she’s calling on the community to assist and sponsor where possible.

“If we collect this amount, it means we can provide 500 girls with a three-month supply of sanitary pads,” she said.

Those wishing to support the campaign or make a donation can contact Dora on 084 823 7887.