Ubuntu Education Fund – ‘From cradle to career!’

The Ubuntu Education Fund is a real success story in Port Elizabeth! Everything started from a meeting between Banks, from Port Elizabeth, and Jacob, from the USA. They decided to launch an organization driven by the community in 1999. After 15 years, they are a reference for a number of NGOs working in education, health and household stability. Interview with Banks Gwaxula, co-founder and senior administrator of the Ubuntu Education Fund. 

Interview conducted in June 2014.

SparkTour Africa: Why the Ubuntu Education Fund was created in 1999?

Banks Gwaxula, co-founder and senior administrator of the Ubuntu Education Fund: It comes from a meeting between Jacob Lief and me. Jacob came to South Africa from the USA and we worked together during seven months in the townships of Port Elizabeth. Then, we decided to go further in 1999 and launch the Ubuntu Education Fund. We started small by distributing academic supplies to orphaned and vulnerable children around us.

‘It comes from a meeting between Jacob Lief and me. Jacob came to South Africa from the USA and we worked together during seven months in the townships of Port Elizabeth.’

… and today, how does it work exactly?

Since 1999, all our projects are driven by the community. We support people ‘from cradle to career’, as we believe that the foundations are the most important things that are lacking in South Africa. Our activities are around education, health and household stability. For example, we have a project called ‘early childhood development’ to take care of vulnerable children during the day. Another example is the ‘UP programme’ where we train young people to prepare them for their future job. More than 60 persons are working for us in Port Elizabeth, and they do an incredible work in all the holistic projects that we have.

‘We support people ‘from cradle to career’, as we believe that the foundations are the most important things that are lacking in South Africa.’

 

 

What is ‘Ubuntu’ for you?

 

This is an African word which means that a person is a person through other people. It means a lot! A child from next door is your own child. If your neighbors don’t have bread, they can come to your house and ask for that. You give, you share whatever you have!

 

Could you give three words to describe the spirit of The Hope Factory?

 

‘Grassroot’, because we don’t impose anything and take people for granted. ‘People’, as we work with people, not for the people. ‘Quality’, because we don’t say that people in the townships need containers; we built them a building that received a lot of awards.

 

‘We work with people, not for the people.’

 

What is the biggest challenge for the organization?

 

The biggest challenge at the beginning was to start something that was very unusual: putting computers and technology in the townships. People feared to touch the buttons, so we had to encourage them a lot. Today, more than 100 teachers have been trained on computer literate.

 

How do you see the evolution of your organization in the next 10 years?

 

We are still going to stick on the early childhood development because we really believe that the foundations are essential. I would like to increase the number of children welcomed in this project. So many children are in need!

 

 

Today, a lot of young South Africans want to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure to improve society. Could you give them a piece of advice?

 

There is always a start for everything, and this is often a complicated period. Focus is the most important thing to sustain a business! So, say no when

it is needed, and you will be respected and helped.

 

‘Focus is the most important thing to sustain a business!’

 

A last word?

 

Anyone is invited to come to South Africa, and especially in Port Elizabeth where we are operating!