our community
The Jabulani Rural Health Foundation serves a large Xhosa community of up to 140,000 people. The Xhosa are well known for their family-oriented culture, and traditional way of life. Our rural location is sparsely populated with remote homesteads and small villages, largely cut-off from the modern world and its amenities.
Whilst our community has a culture to be proud of, the vast majority live in extreme poverty and struggle daily to provide even the basic necessities for their families. This is one of the poorest areas of South Africa, where the average household income is less than 1000 Rand per month (164 US$), gained predominantly through government grants.
The lack of infrastructure in our area impacts upon the quality of life for our community. Just over 1% of households have access to electricity and less than a quarter have access to piped water. Poor quality roads, lack of public transport, sanitation and communications, inevitably means the health of the population suffers.
Low standard of education is another major issue in our area. Over 60% of people have had no schooling whatsoever. The poor literacy rate amongst adults affects their chances of gaining skilled employment and breaking free of the poverty cycle. In total, unemployment affects over 90% of the population.
Our community is in need of your help. To read out about projects that we are currently involved in click here. To find out about the various ways that you can help, whether by making a donation, becoming a 'Friend of Zithulele' or volunteering, click here.