Ubuntu Rural Women and Youth Movement 

About Us

Ubuntu Rural Women and Youth Movement (Ubuntu) is a non-profit organisation registered in 2014 and was established as a response to the evictions on state-owned farms in the Stellenbosch area. The organisation has grown and works in three Provinces mainly, Western, Northern and Eastern Cape. Ubuntu is committed to empowering rural women and addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the agricultural, mining and fishing sectors. Ubuntu’s primary objective is to amplify women’s voices, foster leadership and solidarity, and bridge the gap in access to GBV services, particularly in areas where these services are desperately needed but scarce. 

Ubuntu’s goal is: To amplify women’s voices and build women’s leadership in farming, fishing and other marginalised communities with the capability of accessing justice and participate as active agents in order to improve the social and political voice of their communities

Through collaborative efforts with various key and relevant stakeholders, including government officials such as SAPS, Department of Social Development, Tutuzela Care Centre, National Prosecution Agency, Department of Justice, GBV first responders, Department of Health, MOSAIC, the National Shelter Movement, Safe Moms, Social clubs for elders, people with disabilities, schools and Faith communities, they strive to create a safer and more equitable society for all. As a community-based advice office, they also provide vital support and guidance to these marginalised and vulnerable communities.

Key Focus Area

Ubuntu’s key focus is to empower marginalised communities, particularly rural women and youth, through a multifaceted approach that addresses their socio-economic and human rights needs. Ubuntu’s key areas of focus include: 

To build women’s leadership through training and capacity building: 

• To render advice, access to information, legal assistance to farm workers and workers in vulnerable sectors who experience human rights violations, unfair labour practices and are exposed to hazardous working conditions
• To render advice and access to information to fisher communities on prospect mining, fracking,  environmental impact assessments and climate change education. 
• To serve as a referral and mediation organisation and take up issues such as occupational health and safety (pesticides, injuries on duty, compensation), evictions and dismissals.
• To run campaigns and engage government and other relevant stakeholders to include the participation of women in decision making
• To foster the working together of stakeholders in communities for collective engagement with decision makers.

Impact and Achievements 

Ubuntu’s impactful initiatives have yielded significant achievements, transforming the lives of marginalised communities. 

Ubuntu ‘s work is at the heart of grassroots transformation. The organisation has consistently work among those who have been excluded and exploited such as farm women., the unemployed, fisher communities and youth who are deprived from their voice and unfairly discriminated against. At the core of Ubuntu’s work is a people centred approach. Ubuntu works in an intersectional way across four themes: Land, Food, Environment and GBV.  Champions grew out of this mobilisation work and is locally located. GBV prevention work has seen many women and children been placed in safe care, it also contributes much to the restoration of families and saw many interventions by social workers and schools. Ubuntu’s transformation work is centred around paralegal work, care work, advocacy, and lobbying, building strategic partnerships and amplifying women and youth voices. Ubuntu has successfully providing food relief to thousands of vulnerable individuals and families. Ubuntu aassisting hundreds of unemployed individuals in accessing the R350 Covid relief grants and aadvocatee for access to clean water, resulting in improved living conditions for evicted communities and farm dwellers

Ubuntu’s tireless efforts have created a ripple effect, inspiring positive change and promoting a more just and equitable society.