About

Zimele is a unique non-profit organization which seeks not only to meet the daily needs of South Africans in the Kwazulu Natal region today, but also to build the physical, financial, and emotional infrastructure of their lives to improve the entire region.

While there are many non-profit organizations which seek to feed the people of this area we believe it is imperative that each individual learns to feed themselves.  We also believe that each individual must accept and embrace the responsibility of providing for themselves, their families, and their nation.  “Zimele” is Zulu for “I am standing on my own two feet.”

Even before the end of the Apartheid rule (1994), a culture of dependence and short term thinking has permeated this once proud area.  Many South Africans look to government welfare, charity, and other non-profits to give money, food, and other supplies necessary for daily living.  In the event that handouts are not enough, some turn to crime.  South Africa currently has one of the highest poverty and violent crime rates in the world.  Making things worse, the HIV/AIDS epidemic compounds problems in the lives of millions in the region.

The most devastating effect of this situation is the despair felt by those who can see no other way to live.  While some jobs have been created by the government and other groups, many of these are temporary positions which offer no long-term solution to the problem of nearly fifty percent (50%) unemployment.  Without resources or teachers to give them the knowledge needed to take control of their lives, failure seems inevitable.

We believe that the situation in South Africa can only be truly improved through the work of those who are most affected by it.   Zimele offers teaching and mentoring programs to assist local people (specifically women and children) in creating and developing their own businesses.  With the guidance of Zimele’s business mentors, we seek to teach the local population how to develop micro-economies.  Through production and sales of crafts and other products, locals will be able to export their work through several channels and to a far larger market than merely the tourists in South Africa.

This is how Zimele seeks to empower a community and show them how to stand on their own two feet.