A student-run initiative · Cape Town

Your excess paper is a classroom's next lesson.

We collect clean, unused paper from Cape Town businesses and turn it into more than supplies, bringing paper, worksheets and creativity to under-resourced classrooms, starting with Constantia Primary.

Donate paper Read our story

Our story

Two schools, a short distance apart. Two different worlds.

My name is Carys Morkel. I'm 18, in my final year at the American International School of Cape Town, and this project began with a school visit that I hadn't been able to stop thinking about.

Constantia Primary is a government school just down the road from my own. When I visited, I saw young children going without something as basic as paper, a resource I have taken for granted my entire school career. Teachers couldn't print worksheets. Assessments were rationed. Daily lessons were shaped by what the photocopier budget allowed.

Meanwhile, businesses across Cape Town discard clean, perfectly usable paper every single week. Turning Page simply connects the two, and I plan to build it into something that keeps running long after I've finished school.

Paper is only the beginning. It has opened the door to sponsoring WorksheetCloud, the online worksheet programme that helped me through primary school myself.

— Carys

What started as a student-founded initiative has transformed into an impactful NPC.
"Seeing children go without something as basic as paper, a resource I have always taken for granted, was both moving and alarming. I came away wanting to do something practical about it." Carys Morkel, founder
Carys Morkel, founder of Turning Page
Photo coming soon

What we do

Three ways we turn extra paper into schooling.

Everything starts with donated paper and grows from there into worksheets, homework support and creativity for the classrooms that need it most.

Paper supply

We collect clean leftover paper from businesses: off-cuts, overruns, single-sided misprints, end-of-roll stock and spare office paper, delivered directly to classrooms.

Collected fortnightly, it becomes worksheets, assessments and daily lessons at Constantia Primary and others.

WorksheetCloud sponsorship

We aim to fund WorksheetCloud subscriptions for the Foundation Phase, Grades 1–3. The Department of Education doesn't fund it; affluent schools pay for it themselves.

Every worksheet comes with a memo, so parents can check their children's homework even where their own schooling was cut short, and teachers can spot gaps early.

"WorksheetCloud helped me through primary school. Every child deserves the same head start." — Carys

Creativity from off-cuts

Scrap paper too small for the photocopier becomes art supply packs for weaving, coasters, placemats, painting and drawing, building the fine motor skills young learners need.

We're working toward publishing a school reader and a Turning Page activity book, so the ideas travel further than the packs do.

  • Aiding teachers Paper for worksheets, assessments and daily lessons, so teaching isn't shaped by supply.
  • Relieving families Essential resources at no cost to parents, in a community where every rand counts.
  • Sustaining education Reliable support for quality schooling, fortnight after fortnight.

What we accept

If it's clean and printable, we'll take it.

  • Off-cuts — trimmed edges and odd sizes from print runs
  • Overruns — extra sheets from completed jobs
  • Single-sided misprints — one clean side is all a worksheet needs
  • End-of-roll stock — remnants too small for commercial use
  • Discontinued or aged stock — clean paper past its shelf appeal
  • Spare office stock — unused reams, notepads and copy paper

For print businesses

The paper your operation writes off as waste is exactly what a classroom is missing. If your bindery or guillotine produces regular clean off-cuts, we can set up a standing fortnightly collection with zero admin for your team.

Participating schools provide Section 18A donation certificates, and donations count toward B-BBEE scorecard ratings.

We collect at a time that suits you, at no cost.

How it works

Three steps. We handle the rest.

Step one

Get in touch

Email us with roughly what you have. A box of misprints or a pallet of overruns, everything helps.

Step two

We collect

We arrange pickup at a time that suits you. Once-off donations are welcome; fortnightly collections are our goal.

Step three

Paper reaches classrooms

Your donation goes directly to Constantia Primary and, as we grow, to more under-resourced schools across Cape Town.

At a glance

How it all fits together.

Turning Page SA

Your excess paper is a classroom's next lesson.

Our purpose

We turn excess paper and community support into opportunities that help children learn, grow and thrive.

Together we can

reduce waste, support education and create brighter futures for under-resourced schools.

The paper flow

Printing industry

Fortnightly collection of off-cuts, overruns, single-sided misprints, end-of-roll and spare office stock.

Turning Page SA

Collect · Sort · Coordinate · Assess

Schools

Paper, learning resources and identified needs — starting with Constantia Primary, our first partner school.

We identify what schools need most and provide the right resources to support teaching and learning.
The art for education cycle
1

Children create art

Learners create art on canvas or mounted board.

2

Artwork marketed

Showcased on our website and social media.

3

Online auctions

Art is auctioned to supporters and businesses.

4

Funds raised

Proceeds go into the Education Fund.

5

Funds invested in school needs

Worksheets, resources and school projects.

Children benefit

  1. Children create art

    Learners create art on canvas or mounted board.

  2. Artwork marketed

    Showcased on our website and social media.

  3. Online auctions

    Art is auctioned to supporters and businesses.

  4. Funds raised

    Proceeds go into the Education Fund.

  5. Funds invested in school needs

    Worksheets, resources and school projects.

  6. ♥ Children benefit
The funding streamBusinesses + public + fundraising

Corporate donations

Businesses give to support education.

Sponsor a school

Companies sponsor a school of their choice, based on need.

Worksheet sponsorships

Sponsor printed worksheets for schools.

Children's art auctions

Art created by children is sold to raise funds.

Campaigns & events

Community and media campaigns create awareness.

Turning Page
Education Fund

All funds are managed transparently and used to meet identified school needs and education projects.

Resources provided to schools

Printed worksheets

Quality worksheets printed for learners.

WorksheetCloud sponsorship

Foundation Phase, Grades 1–3.

Educational resources

Stationery, books, manipulatives and more.

School projects

Support for specific school initiatives.

Identified needs

What each school needs most.

More schools & learners supported

More children have what they need to learn, grow and build brighter futures.

Get involved

Donate paper Sponsor a school Sponsor printed worksheets Support our art auctions Make a financial donation Spread the word
Business donors receive Section 18A donation certificates, and donations count toward B-BBEE recognition.
Every sheet, every donation, every piece of art — changes a child's story.

Turning Page SA · NPC Reg No. 2026/710943/08 · Founded by Carys Morkel · info@turningpage.co.za

The road ahead

What we're working toward.

  • Expanding to schools in Elsies River and Bonteheuwel
  • Publishing a school reader and arts-and-crafts activity book
  • Registering as an approved Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) in South Africa
  • Registered as a non-profit company (NPC) — Reg No. 2026/710943/08

These are ambitions, not promises, but every collection brings them closer.

Have spare paper or a soft spot for worksheets?

Whether you can offer a single box of off-cuts, a standing fortnightly collection, or sponsorship toward a grade's WorksheetCloud subscription, one email is all it takes to put resources into a classroom that currently has almost none.

Carys@turningpage.co.za info@turningpage.co.za

Partners

The businesses turning pages with us:

Gerber Paper
Papercor
Tandym Print
Catch Media Print Specialists
Lithotech
Seldenrod