The Imbasa Story
The township of Nkobongo is situated just northwest of the port city of Durban, in the province of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Here I met the motivated students who became the inspiration behind our mission. Many of these young adults shared with me their hopes for the future: to be a lawyer, an accountant, or a teacher. Sadly, most understood that persistent poverty and lack of educational access prevent many of their dreams from ever coming true.
Many challenges face these children:
- 11% of the population of South Africa is infected with HIV/AIDS.
- 39% of pregnant women are HIV-positive in the province KwaZulu Natal.
- 30% of South Africans are unemployed, while 70% of the people in Nkobongo are unemployed.
- A high percentage of orphans drop out of school, with almost none continuing post-high school.
- Between 20% and 25% of adolescents, aged 15 to 18, have lost one, or both, parents.
Unless large-scale and lasting intervention efforts are implemented,
the number of orphans is expected to grow.
I returned to the United States determined to do whatever I could to
positively and permanently influence the lives of these
remarkable young people. I shared my vision with family and friends,
and in just a few months the Imbasa Educational Foundation was
born. Our goal was simple: to partner with local organizations to
address the educational, medical, and social concerns of orphans and
other vulnerable children in South Africa.
We chose the name “Imbasa”.
From the Zulu language, it means “a
star” or “to set ablaze”. We felt the duality of meaning was
appropriate, as it fits both our students and our collective charge
for their futures.
Our first project is in Nkobongo, a
settlement of 11,000 people. Four hundred of these are orphans. Over
the last ten years, the government has replaced most of the wooden,
cardboard, and scrap metal shacks with small, cinderblock houses.
The government has also brought electricity to these new houses and
built wells and communal toilet facilities. While some progress is
evident in the infrastructure, very few of the children in Nkobongo
have opportunities beyond high school.
The initial resources we garner and partnerships we create
will help launch brighter futures for the children of this special
place. And though the task seems daunting, there are countless young
lives across the country we endeavor to reach in the years to come.
With the proper resources, directed passions, and strong
partnerships, there are no obstacles that will prove too
challenging.
-Seth Chadbourne,
Chairman and Founder
