Since its inception in 1999, Ubuntu Pathways has grown into a thriving community institution in the heart of Gqeberha’s (formerly known as Port Elizabeth) townships, as well as a global model for poverty alleviation, garnering recognition from the likes of the World Economic Forum and Aspen Institute. Ubuntu has pioneered a comprehensive support system of education, health, and household stability that takes disadvantaged children on a cradle-to-career pathway out of poverty. The Ubuntu Campus, the organisation’s world-class 5,600 square-metre complex in Port Elizabeth, houses a primary school, a paediatric clinic, a vocational training hub, a community theatre, a rooftop garden – all signifying that access to quality education, healthcare, and opportunities is not a privilege, but a right.
The Scheinberg Relief Fund is supporting Ubuntu Pathways’ Emergency COVID-19 Response efforts, which are focused on serving vulnerable populations including pregnant mothers living with HIV, immuno-compromised children, elderly heads of households, and at-risk and unemployed youth across 10 townships in Port Elizabeth. Funding has been directed to the first phase of Ubuntu’s Emergency Response which provided monthly food packages to 4,000 households (approximately 30,000 individuals) and medical equipment and PPE to 26 community health clinics and local institutions.