History

The end of the Apartheid was a new beginning for all of South Africa but the inequality that pervaded the country still left its scars on the people and the country.  Rosetta Stander, a fifth generation South African saw this first hand and left the private sector to aid her countrymen. 

During her time with non-profit organizations Rosetta saw how these organizations became pervasive throughout South Africa.  While the groups had good intentions, they created a short-sighted welfare environment in which people depend upon the charities for their everyday needs.  Rosetta's prior experience of training people in life, vocational, and business skills gave her the conviction that the key to developing South Africa lay in the education of its people.

When we started in 2006, our vision was built on one word - Zimele - which means, "to stand on one's own two feet" in Zulu. We believe that the only way to break the cycle of poverty for the women and communities we serve is through empowerment. This is why we empower women to believe in themselves and gain the skills they need to start their own businesses, generate sustainable incomes, and support their families. This is why we empower women to address critical community needs through larger scale business and social service projects and become beacons of hope and agents of positive transformation in their communities and country. This is why our long-term success will not be measured by our continued presence in our target communities, but by our eventual obsolescence.

Our program model is structured around three phases that are designed to bring holistic transformation in the lives of the women and communities we serve.