U.ME.WE Campaign

Photo Credit: Ubuntu Education Fund

Commitment to Action

U.ME.WE Campaign

Commitment by

Ubuntu Education Fund

In 2012, Ubuntu Education Fund committed to launch the U.ME.WE. Campaign, a three year, $25 million initiative to provide long-term financial stability and develop the Ubuntu Centre in Port Elizabeth, South Africa into a world class health and education campus, transforming the lives of 2,000 children and their families from cradle to career. The launch of the U.ME.WE Campaign represents the expansion and improvement of Ubuntu's development model. By expanding Ubuntu's early-childhood and after-school programs, reaching new supporters, certifying its pediatric clinic as an HIV service-provider, and further instilling a commitment among Ubuntu students to serve the community, the U.ME.WE Campaign will build upon the success that Ubuntu has achieved over the past 13 years.

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Overview

Summary

Commitment

U.ME.WE Campaign

Launched

2012

Est. Duration

3 Years

Estimated Total Value

$26,345,225

Region

Africa

Countries

SOUTH AFRICA

Commitment by

Ubuntu Education Fund

Partner(s) of the Commitment Maker(s)

McKinsey & Company, De Agostini SpA, Knowledge is Power Program, Colin Cowie Events, Eastern Cape Province Department of Health

Details

APPROACH:
Ubuntu Education Fund commits to launch the U.ME.WE. Campaign, a three year, $25 million initiative that will provide long-term financial stability and develop the Ubuntu Centre into a world class health and education campus, transforming the lives of 2,000 children and their families from cradle to career. Ubuntu's 13 years of documented success speaks for itself- Ubuntu has a highly trained staff in a world-class facility and U.ME.WE will help to expand its results-oriented programming.
Ubuntu will develop the province's leading pediatric clinic, which just received full accreditation as a HIV service provider, for vulnerable children and their caregivers. At this facility, HIV testing is offered to the entire community as well as PMTCT and comprehensive services, including physical exams, dental and vision screening, and counseling, for all Ubuntu clients.
Furthermore, Ubuntu will provide intensive, high-quality education from early childhood through Grade 12, including after-school, weekend, and holiday camp programming. This will improve students' school attendance, academic prowess, life skills and self-confidence, giving children the opportunity to attend university and maintain productive careers. Ubuntu will also enhance its university scholarship and out-of-school youth programs by offering more than 50 scholarships per year and addressing the financial, emotional, social, and medical needs of our students.
The U.ME.WE commitment will strengthen Ubuntu's household stability initiative, providing comprehensive social, medical and nutritional interventions in the homes of all of the children with whom Ubuntu works. This will ensure that the households of Ubuntu's children are healthy, clean, safe and TB-free. Vulnerable homes, particularly child-headed households, will also enjoy improved overall food and security.0
Moreover, Ubuntu will launch a trans-media campaign that will involve the global community in Ubuntu's work, while contributing to the larger discussion on development models.
Finally, Ubuntu scholars will be encouraged to give back to the community in a personal, productive way by making their own U.ME.WE commitment.
ACTION PLAN:
To fulfill this commitment and meet the fundraising goal of $25 million, Ubuntu is working with De Agostini Group to create a powerful media piece that will allow Ubuntu to present findings from a 2011 Impact Report created in partnership with McKinsey & Company. Demonstrating the quantifiable impact of Ubuntu's model, the piece will showcase the organization's work through a creative audio/visual presentation.
To engage supporters and spread the word about Ubuntu's development model, Ubuntu will launch a trans-media strategy, featuring a live-action video narrated by Kevin Bacon, with individuals holding animated signs explaining Ubuntu's story and work. Participants will distribute the video by tagging themselves on various social networks. Users that participate will also be promoting Ubuntu's work. An online app will allow new constituents to plug themselves into the video, which will build brand ambassadors and raise awareness about Ubuntu in untouched areas.
Ubuntu will ask both its Ubuntu Scholars in Port Elizabeth and its supporters around the world to make an U.ME.WE commitment. Specifically, Ubuntu students will formulate a commitment to give back, instilling an ethos of community service and involvement.
Throughout the U.ME.WE campaign, Ubuntu will continue to develop and strengthen programming, launching four ECD program classes, adding four after-school program classes, and improving the capacity of the Pediatric Clinic. Below are the key milestones:
July 2012: First ultra-sounds for Ubuntu's expecting mothers
November 2012: Class of 2012 Ubuntu scholar graduation
December 2012: Annual Health check-ups---First day ECD class: year two
January 2013: Ubuntu Scholars start University
April/ May 2013: Annual Immunization Campaign
November 2013: Class of 2013 Ubuntu scholar graduation
December 2013: Ubuntu Scholars start University
January 2014: First day of ECD class: year three---Annual health check-ups
April 2014: Annual Immunization Campaign
November 2014: 2012 Ubuntu Scholar Graduation
December 2014: Scholarship Distribution for 2015

Background

Children living in the townships of Port Elizabeth, South Africa have struggled to persevere in a community ravaged by HIV/AIDS, an unemployment rate of 80%, poverty, rampant sexual and physical violence, a failing educational system, and apartheid's legacy. Ubuntu Education Fund seeks to transform the lives of these vulnerable children from cradle to career, through comprehensive educational, health and household support. Ubuntu quickly recognized that a traditional development model would not have the capacity to address the complex challenges that the community faces. Consequently, Ubuntu has spent the last 13 years building a context-driven community institution, redefining the theory of 'going to scale.' Rather than expanding geographically, Ubuntu drew a seven-kilometer diameter through a community of 300,000 people, concentrating services deeply on this target area.
Ubuntu's integrated system of medical, educational and social interventions stabilizes households, reduces violence and neglect, treats disease, and combats poverty. This method ensures that a child, after several years with Ubuntu, is equipped to succeed in the worlds of higher education and employment, highlighting the difference between merely touching a child's life and fundamentally changing it. By addressing the entire gamut of issues that children in the community struggle with, Ubuntu helps them to overcome the many interrelated obstacles that threaten to derail their lives.

Partnership Opportunities

March 2016

Ubuntu seeks additional financial supporters to bolster fundraising efforts, media partners to increase exposure, and broaden networks, on-the-ground implementing partners to collaborate and improve upon programs, as well as additional best practice models to enhance Ubuntus cradle to career approach. More specifically, the organization would be interested in exploring partnerships with the Skoll Foundation, YouTube, The Ford Foundation, TED, and additional organizations within sub-Saharan Africa.

March 2016

Sharing knowledge, partnering with leaders in their respective fields to better understand best practices, and capitalizing on others expertise drives development forward. While Ubuntu will not geographically scale its innovative model, the nonprofits executive team will begin partnering with other community based organizations to build their capacity and enable them with Ubuntus knowledge to implement similarly successful models in their specific contexts. Over the next five years, specifically, Ubuntu will launch the Ubuntu Institute, an incubator program that will help entrepreneurs create community -led development programs and spread Ubuntus effective approach to development.

Progress Reports

March 2016

Ubuntu Education Fund is transforming the lives of 2,000 vulnerable children in South Africas townships by promoting long-term financial sustainability and developing its headquarters into a world class health and educational campus. In fulfilling this U.ME.WE commitment, Ubuntu has not only amplified its sustainable impact, but it has also further formalized its innovative development model. Specific activities within the U.ME.WE commitment included:

- HIV Pediatric Clinic: Over the past three and a half years, Ubuntu has built the regions first state of the art HIV pediatric clinic and implemented an integrated strategy that has significantly reduced disparities in access to health and education. Led by an experienced and dedicated medical team, the organizations health program offered comprehensive HIV/TB services from testing to adherence support, sexual and reproductive health interventions, primary care, and nutritional support. Ubuntu has provided well over 24,200 medical services to 2,000 of Port Elizabeth, South Africas most vulnerable children since the launch of U.ME.WE. The results have been remarkable. Ubuntu has achieved a 100% Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission success rate, maintained a 96% HIV drug regimen adherence rate, as well as sustained a 94% TB treatment success rate. The impact of this now formalized strategy has been profoundhealthy parents have attained employment, children have achieved greater success in school, and township communities have slowly begun to overcome public health crises.

- Cradle to Career Academic Programs: Since 2012, Ubuntu has re-conceptualized the vast majority of its educational initiatives to build a truly cradle to career approach. The organization piloted an early childhood development program during the first year of the commitment, and it has grown from a small class of just 38 children into an initiative that serves 148 toddlers, pre-k students, kindergarteners, and first graders. Ubuntu has simultaneously revived its opportunities platform with the launch of a university preparation course for Grade 12 scholars and an intensive vocational skills development initiative for non-university tracked youth. Both new offerings have achieved enormous success. Educational milestones over the past three years include: 100% of toddlers attaining internationally recognized developmental milestones in seven categories, 94% of Grade 12 scholars passing their matric (a qualifying exam for university), and 86% receiving university acceptance letters, as well as 80% of out of school youth securing employment.

- Household Stability Services: Ubuntus Family Support Specialists (certified social workers and counselors) improved upon the organizations household stability approach. This core program addressed the underlying obstacles that threatened to derail clients lives: financial instability, hunger, dysfunctional family relationships, unsafe homes, and abuse. At the beginning of each year, Family Support Specialists assessed households and created individualized pathways out of poverty for each client; they have since implemented case management plans, monitored progress, and adapted interventions whenever necessary. Since partnering with Clinton Global Initiative to launch U.ME.WE, Ubuntu has provided over 3,412 household stability interventions, ranging from home assessments to child protection services to psychosocial counseling. Thus far, 86% of clients move from an off track status (whereby myriad presenting problems derail their stability and security) to an on track status (whereby Ubuntu either entirely mitigates or manages clients presenting problems) after just four years of services.

- Broader Network Engagement: Ubuntu has implemented a multi-pronged approach to engaging a broader network: establish the organization as a thought leader, build a grassroots outreach strategy to connect with younger supporters, and foster long-term partnerships with high net worth individuals. The nonprofit now has well over 18,000 contacts in its database, connected with over 10,000 social media followers, hosted annual fundraising galas that raise over $1 million, and secured many multiyear commitments. Ubuntus executive team has also published editorials in established media outlets like Forbes, The Guardian, Devex, Town and Country, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Fast Company. The CEO, specifically, gave a TEDx Brooklyn talk in 2013.

Ubuntu has redefined the nonprofit industrys expectations of what disadvantaged communities can accomplish. Through its Clinton Global Initiative commitment, the organization has ensured that the birthplaces of 2,000 orphaned and vulnerable children living in Port Elizabeths townships do not have to determine their futures.