Jika Uluntu is a non-profit organization operating in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, in the Buffalo City Municipality. It was established in 2017 by the Founding Director, Emma Rutherford in response to the needs of vulnerable children in an informal settlement that was rapidly growing. She had been working in the non-profit sector for years and decided to do something and Jika Uluntu which means “turning around the community” was born.

Since then our organization has grown to include communities that consist of informal settlements, rural farming communities and rural villages. We operate on the border of the municipality that is sometimes “forgotten” when it comes to being provided with government services. In addition, its locality sometimes brings jurisdiction disputes amongst district offices leading to services not being rendered.

We collaborate with communities through knowledge exchange and mentorship that facilitates their access to skills and tools that they need to tackle social ills such as HIV/AIDS, Violence Against Children, Violence Against Women, and Youth Unemployment. We link these communities with the gatekeepers of this access namely the government, civil society and private sector. This empowers them to transform their lives and communities from within and affect social change that is sustainable.