Our name is inspired by the African philosophy of Ubuntu—a profound concept meaning “I am because we are.” It speaks to the very essence of humanity: that our identities are inseparable from our relationships with others, and that community is the foundation of a just and compassionate society. Ubuntu is about more than kindness; it’s about shared responsibility. It calls us to treat one another with respect, empathy, and dignity, and to uphold the values and standards that protect and uplift our communities.

This belief sits at the heart of everything we do. In Ngando, we’ve witnessed the power of collective action—how one child’s education can inspire an entire family, how feeding a student brings hope to a household, and how restoring dignity to one mother strengthens a neighbourhood. We are not working for the community we are working with it, guided by Ubuntu’s core truth: that our humanity is bound together. Ubuntu Africa exists because we believe that true transformation happens when every voice is heard and every life is valued.

Although Ubuntu Africa was officially founded in 2025, the heart of this work began with a single step into the Ngando slum in 2020 just before the world shut down. 

What began as a visit quickly became a life-changing calling. I found myself face to face with the brutal realities of extreme poverty witnessing the daily hardship, poverty, and vulnerability in this community, I couldn’t look away. What I saw broke my heart but ignited a fire I couldn’t ignore. 

Children were attending school in crumbling structures, without food in their stomachs or shoes on their feet. These weren’t just statistics. They were real children, with names, dreams, and untapped potential. Families lived in unsafe, overcrowded conditions, struggling to meet even their most basic needs. I began documenting what I saw through photography, storytelling, social media, and eventually by bringing volunteer groups directly to Ngando to see it for themselves. Seeing it is one thing. Standing in it changes you forever.

The response was immediate and powerful. People from across the world reached out, donated, stood with us—and slowly, we began to change lives. It didn’t take millions, it took movement and we became one. Over the past six years, through sheer determination and community support, we’ve helped relocate and rebuild a primary school, provided hundreds of children with access to quality education, daily meals, medical care, dental hygiene kits, menstrual products, school supplies, junior school sponsorships and more. 

We’ve created safe spaces where children who once felt forgotten could learn, grow, and dare to dream. We’ve restored dignity to families who had spent too long surviving in silence. And all of this has been achieved without formal charity status—driven by belief, compassion, and a strong community of volunteers and supporters who refused to turn away.

As the impact grew, so did the responsibility and the vision. We came to understand that true, lasting change doesn’t happen in isolation. Investing in just the children isn’t enough if they return home to hunger, hopelessness, and parents without opportunity then the cycle of poverty continues. That’s why our mission is expanding beyond the school gates. Ubuntu Africa is no longer just about helping children survive; it’s about building a community where everyone can thrive. Now, we are registering Ubuntu Africa as a Scottish charity not as a beginning, but as a bold new chapter. This step will allow us to deepen our roots, increase accountability, attract long-term funding, and scale our impact with sustainability at the core.

In November of 2025 we will be building Safe Haven Education and Community Centre and opening our doors in January 2026. 

All the work we’ve been doing will continue: education, healthcare, nutrition, hygiene support and distribution of aid but we’re adding even more: skills workshops for parents, access to computers and adult education, vocational training, and a vision for a safe community hub that empowers entire families.

We’ve come so far but this is only the beginning. Ubuntu means “I am because we are,” and now more than ever, we need each other to create real, lasting change. We’ve laid the foundation, now we’re building something that lasts - because every child deserves more than survival. They deserve a future and so do the families who raise them. Its not just charity, its shared humanity.