Following the generosity shown by the South African public, Cadbury Dairy Milk says that it is in the process of distributing over R1-million worth of educational toys, books and games to vulnerable children across South Africa.

Over the next few weeks, Cadbury Dairy Milk is calling on South Africans to share their story and inspire orphaned and vulnerable children in South Africa. Expert storytellers will be sharing more tips and advice to help South Africans carve out their most inspirational stories.

A selection of these stories will be collated into an audio e-book for download from the Cadbury Dairy Milk website and shared with children across the country.

"Generosity is at the core of everything Cadbury Dairy Milk does. We believe that generosity isn't about simply giving for giving's sake; rather, it's a feeling driven by genuinely and selflessly wanting to improve someone else's situation," says Lara Sidersky, Mondelez South Africa category lead for chocolate.

"South Africa has a deep storytelling tradition. Through your stories, we wish to empower and inspire, while offering comfort and hope to the many orphaned and vulnerable children within our community. Now's the time to share your story and inspire theirs," adds Sidersky.

Lebohang Masango, anthropologist, poet and award-winning author of Mpumi's Magic Beads, says that Africa's storytelling tradition is particularly unique because, through stories, we have the ability to pass down lessons and important information about one's heritage.

"It's a beautiful way to connect the present generation to the generations that came before. It also binds us to indigenous forms of knowledge. It's a wonderful representation of who we are in our differences and similarities. When you hear a story from a person you've never met, you get to inhabit a piece of them," says Masango.

Storyteller, activist, actress, poet, playwright, author and director Gcina Mhlophe says, "Stories can get children excited about the fact that we're all different but we each have something special to bring to the table."

"Stories have different ways of awakening our soul, of making us look at ourselves and of helping us feel like we belong. Stories are always our companions," concludes Mhlophe.

For more information, visit www.cadbury.co.za/storytime/. You can also follow Cadbury on Facebook or on Twitter.