New body aims to transform lives of Eastern Cape youth and elderly

From a vision to uplift and transform the lives of the young and elderly of the Eastern Cape came the birth of the Ubomi Foundation, which was launched on Thursday evening in Port Elizabeth.

The founder and chair of the foundation, Siyanda Mxotwa, said this was the time for all relevant parties to take responsibility for the community to resolve basic service delivery issues.

Ubomi, an Nguni word that means life, is a foundation that seeks to tackle socioeconomic issues in both the urban and rural parts of the province.

CEO Zamuxolo Nduna said the Eastern Cape was made up of cities, townships and rural areas on the outskirts of these cities.

“The vast majority of these rural sections don’t have access to basic services such as clean water, sanitation, proper sewage infrastructure and care service facilities, to mention a few.

“Ubomi Foundation is guided by the practices of giving and uplifting the life of the people in the province. Therefore the objectives of Ubomi Foundation are to ensure that our beloved citizens are taken care of through our pillars and programmes,” Nduna said.

The nonprofit organisation has identified seven challenges in the province which it wishes to tackle:

● Community services centres;

● Greennouse projects (Youth Farming Initiative);

● Education, skills and entrepreneurial development programmes;

● Disaster management programmes;

● Community open dialogues;

● STEM centres (science, technology, engineering and mathematics); and

● Sustainable development goals (tackling poverty, health care and gender equality).

“In as much that’s the role of our provincial and national administrator, ours as the foundation is to facilitate the delivering of these to our people,” Nduna said.

He said the foundation would be building relationships with all stakeholders in both the public and private sectors.