HEAD IN CLOUDS, FEET ON GROUND
Little Anda in her tiny tutu, with her head full of big beautiful dreams. And why not? Dreams are children’s birthright, whether they live in a township or a townhouse. Ubuntu Education Fund, where Anda is a client, works hard to make sure she has a realistic shot at making her dreams come true. While her head is in the clouds, Ubuntu’s are busy on the ground, providing stability, health and education to her and thousands of other township children.
Photo: Tim Hans. Courtesy of Ubuntu Education Fund.
The Ubuntu Model has been internationally recognized, most recently by President Clinton, who stopped by last month to visit and admire the Ubuntu Centre in Zwide Township. President Clinton joined a long list of individuals and organizations applauding Ubuntu’s 14 years of focused, community-based, comprehensive services to children, families, and communities in the townships of Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Photo: Tim Hans. Courtesy of Ubuntu Education Fund.
Ubuntu does whatever it takes to create stable lives. Sometimes it’s counseling. Sometimes it’s a school uniform. Sometimes it’s tutoring. Sometimes it’s a lightbulb. Sometimes it’s a package of pills to keep a deadly virus in check. Often, it’s all of these and more.
Photo: Tim Hans. Courtesy of Ubuntu Education Fund.
Ubuntu has a proven track record. The people Ubuntu serves, Ubuntu clients, have a 96% adherence rate to their HIV drug regimens, while only 57% of the peers in the community regularly take their medications. They are 50% more likely to graduate high school. They have gone on to higher education, productive jobs, and fulfilled lives. In keeping with the spirit of ubuntu (“I am because you are” in Xhosa), former clients regularly come back to work at the Ubuntu Centre, mentoring the next generation.
Photo: Tim Hans. Courtesy of Ubuntu Education Fund.
Ubuntu is dedicated to making Anda a future success story. She has ample role models: Anele, who came to Ubuntu as a traumatized orphan, became an intern, and is now working and going to an excellent university; Andile, who lost both his parents, grew up with his grandmother, and is studying business and winning awards in the UK (while managing to find time to Skype his granny); Thina, who went on a scholarship to the US and turned down employment there in order to come back to Port Elizabeth and work with students at Ubuntu.
Photo: Tim Hans. Courtesy of Ubuntu Education Fund.
Ubuntu is a rare entity: an organization which transparently, simply, does what it says it does, and does it well. It depends on outside funding for all its work, and is currently in the middle of U.ME.WE, a fundraising effort to help make it increasingly sustainable. Details of the campaign, Ubuntu’s work, and ways to get involved are available at www.ubuntufund.org. Help them keep their beautiful feet on the ground while they dream of a healthy happy life, and dare to keep some time sacred with their heads in the clouds.
Photo: Tim Hans. Courtesy of Ubuntu Education Fund.
Post Contributor: Travis Randall
Read about the beauty of Clouds all this week, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact.
Get busy and enter the BN Competitions, Our next theme is Beautiful Clouds, which starts tomorrow. Send in your images and ideas. Deadline is 9.22.13.
