Ubuntu in the Home

Within the last month, my volunteer work at SAFFI has taken a unique and exciting turn. SAFFI has recently partnered with the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation and has also secured a grant from Swedish donors. These events have allowed SAFFI the opportunity to implement an outreach program entitled “Ubtuntu in the Home: Ubuntu in Intimate Relationships.”

Ubuntu is an African philosophy that is translated as “I am what I am because of who we all are.” It explains that because our humanity is inextricably bound up with that of one another, you cannot be human all by yourself. We are all interconnected and what you do, affects the rest of the world. “When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.”

The point of this project is to sensitize and educate religious leaders regrading the root causes, implications, and consequences of domestic violence. By getting religious leaders on board, we are hoping to establish support services within these religious communities. For far too long, silence has surrounded the issue of gender based violence. This program will hold abusers accountable for their actions while offering interventions, support, and information to all those affected by intimate partner violence.

This past week, SAFFI and the Legacy Foundation have hosted a training workshop for a group of 10 facilitators. Starting in July, these facilitators will take their acquired skills out into the religious communities. By the end of the yearlong project, we hope to have secured commitments from 20 religious leaders, pledging their dedication to this cause and implementing support systems in their congregations.

Although it will be hard for me to leave SAFFI at such a pivotal moment, I have also appreciated the opportunity to see all the hard work that has led up to this moment. I am both excited and hopeful for the future of this organization.