Each Year IBM is sending a group of inspire people in developing countries to bring progress. In Year 2009 they‘ve been 13 people who are travelling to South Africa. Everyone of them has brought in what s/he can do best.

IBM South Africa team and client executives

Hundreds of IBMers sent to emerging markets to share their expertise with non-profits, small businesses and NGOs

East London

Ruliv Organization http://wordpress.immi.de/

The IBM team travelled to South Africa to support the Ruliv Organization in all their marketing and communication strategies. This organization works together with another Non-Profit Organization, Ubuntu Ma Africa.

Location: East London; South Africa

Our team supported the Ruliv Organization

South Africa is… wild life, wild cost, resource rich country, a country that struggles with HIV/AIDS, a country with high rate of sexual assaults, most black people live in townships, black economic empowerment is one of the biggest topics.

We need help from Ubuntu Ma Africa

Sweetness, a woman who lives in South Africa couldn´t stand by and watch others suffer; she wanted to help and founded Ubuntu Ma Afria in 2001 to provide home-based care for people in her community who suffer from HIV & AIDS, depression and other illness.

Sweetness, Founder of the Organization: Ubuntu Ma Africa

Ubuntu Ma Africa is a Home Based Care Centre. It provides home-based care and education or people with HIV and Aids,diabetes, polio, depression, sexually transmitted infections and victims of abuse and violence.

Ubuntu Ma Africa: Non-Profit organization

There are 9000 people in the township, many of whom are uneducated, unemployed and poverty-stricken. From 2 small rented rooms, Sweetness train volunteers to care for homebound patients, run awareness campaigns, health promotion and education programmes.

Township outside of East LondonEzinkomeni Rural Informal Settlement at Mbekweni

Although the organization receives funding from the government, it’s never enough. Their monthly rent is R500. They lack the computers they need to keep proper records. Because of their limited funding, they can’t do as many awareness campaigns as they would like.

One of the barracks

When we (the IBM Team) asked what the organization needed and how people could help, Sweetness shared this wish list: a decommissioned shipping container to convert into office space, clothes, food, medicine and of course money.

I want to help but I don´t have the conditions

Raw diamonds. Consider South Africans as unpolished diamonds. The people have great skills and are highly intelligent but like raw diamonds they need help to bring out the best of them. Structure and organization is needed.

Zulus dancing a warrior dance for us

We need skills! We need education, we need knowledge, we need to be able to help ourselves.Ubuntu Ma Africa helps us to have better life.

Kids boxing in Mdantsane

One of the boys at the Isaiah 58 Orphanage told: "I have a dream, I want to be a boxer. Not only just 'a' boxer but the World Champion." South Africans are hungry for live not only for food. Ubuntu Ma Africa will help.

Visit at the orphanage Isaiah 58

„The weekends are a mess ...... if there are women at the shebeens with the men, they will most certainly be raped. I hear screams of women in the night from all over the neighborhood.“

Sweetness, Founder of the Non-Profit Home Based Care: Ubuntu Ma Africa

Yes there is violence in South Africa but we were never afraid and felt very safe. We would immediately go back again to South Africa. People are very friendly, helpful and in good mood.

Whispers

If the organization can get a shipping container or a prefab building (which would be a luxury), the government would grant them a piece of land where they could set up permanent offices – rent free.

Some barracks

That means that Ubuntu Ma Africa had better conditions and money to help their community in all their problems! If only each of you will donate a little bit for the shipping container you can help a whole community!

Change the world and make people happy with a little donation

Everyone of us can help!!!