About Us

Who We Are

Isithembiso is a rural-based registered non-profit/public benefit organization that is women-led. There's a saying in South Africa that poverty has a rural face, but Isithembiso is about catalyzing the potential rural communities have.

For example, there is vast arable agricultural land in our communities that is not being utilized. By using ABCD (Asset Based Community Development Model), we have identified so many assets that have the potential of uplifting the community through meaningful work through sustainable means.

Our Story

Isithembiso was established by three young people due to the challenges that the community is faced with, including high unemployment, school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, and poor education facilities.

These three founders felt it was important to start an organization that would be a vehicle to allow them to be part of the solution to these challenges. Their vision has grown into a comprehensive community development initiative that touches multiple aspects of rural life.

Our Core Values

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Fairness

We ensure equitable treatment and opportunities for all community members, recognizing that sustainable development requires justice and equality.

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Transparency

We operate with openness and clarity in all our activities, ensuring our community understands our processes, decisions, and resource allocation.

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Accountability

We take responsibility for our actions and commitments, maintaining high standards in our work and reporting to our community and stakeholders.

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Trust

We build lasting relationships based on reliability, consistency, and mutual respect, creating a foundation for meaningful community development.

Our Mission

To catalyze, educate, train, support, enable and accompany self-organized marginalized communities on their journey toward empowerment and sustainable development.

Our Vision

To achieve just, loving societies without poverty wherein ordinary people are self-organized, with real social weight, voice and power, and in democratic sustainable control of their livelihoods, development and the resources required for life.

Our Approach

We employ the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) model, which focuses on identifying and mobilizing existing community assets rather than focusing solely on needs and deficiencies. This strength-based approach empowers communities to recognize their own capacity for positive change.

Through this methodology, we've discovered that rural communities possess tremendous untapped potential, including vast arable agricultural land, traditional knowledge systems, strong social networks, and resilient community members ready to drive change.

Our Community in Action