Jabulani Rural Health Foundation

Project leaders: Cath and John Young          
Location: Zithulele Village, Eastern Cape province, South Africa

Jabulani Rural Health Foundation (JRHF) was established in 2007 to support the deeply impoverished communities surrounding Zithulele Village, South Africa. It does so through a comprehensive four-pillar programme focused on Healthcare, Education, Environment, and Livelihoods.

The communities in this area are recognised as some of the poorest in South Africa. The average household income is less than 1200 South African Rand per month (around US$80 / NZ$130), just over 1% of households have access to water, an estimated 80% are without electricity, and over 40% of people have had no schooling. This is the desperate need that JRHF intends to serve.

For over 15 years, JRHF has successfully implemented healthcare, education, and environmental programmes to uplift the impoverished communities surrounding Zithulele Village. However, they recently identified the need to further develop their Livelihoods pillar, which is the least developed aspect of their work. This is where All Good Ventures comes in.

With All Good Ventures' support, JRHF plans to establish and sustain multiple social enterprises within their newly constructed Livelihoods Access Centre building, completed last year. These social enterprises will provide employment for local people and include a coffee shop, second-hand store, business automation shop, fresh produce store and seedling garden.

Eventual profits generated from the social enterprises will fund non-income generating aspects of JRHF's Livelihoods pillar, such as agricultural training and mentoring, savings group mentoring, skills development and job readiness training.