Latest News
Sustainability Halted: The Ongoing Struggle for Bulungula Community Radio Broadcast License
We are sharing something a bit different from our usual blogs. We find ourselves in a challenging situation with the licensing process for the Bulungula Community Radio (BCR). Despite our dedicated efforts, our application for the community sound broadcasting service...
15 Years of community-driven success: The path to sustainable, quality Early Childhood Development Centers
Twenty years ago, quality education, let alone Early Childhood Development (ECD), was an abstract concept for our community because of our area's limited access to schooling. However, over the years, we have steadily built our education programme, which includes five...
Turning the tide: Our journey from crisis to hope in the fight against HIV/AIDS
Photo: Nomakhaya (community health worker) delivers HIV treatment to community member, 2023. In the early 2000s, our community was in the grip of one of its darkest periods, overshadowed by the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS. One community member recounts dozens of...
Announcing: Bulungula Incubator monthly webinar series
At Bulungula Incubator, our mission is to be a catalyst for the creation of vibrant and sustainable rural communities. Our approach as an 'incubator' is not just about initiating projects but about sharing the wealth of knowledge we have amassed over the years. This...
Final exam time for Bulungula College class of 2023
At Bulungula College, the Matric exams are a significant milestone for our learners and community. Only five years ago, our area had no high school, which led to a staggering 95% of learners dropping out before reaching grade 12. In the 2023 class, half will be the...
Op-ed: Second Chance — supporting young people to rewrite matric can unlock their economic potential
A growing number of young people are leaving school without passing their matric exams, the entry-level qualification for many jobs. Yet, learners who fail can rewrite their exams for a second chance at graduating from high school. Realistically, however, this is...
School-embedded tutoring programme to improve mathematics
South Africa's educational landscape, particularly in rural and under-resourced areas, has historically been marred by inequalities that persist today. Many schools grapple with a dearth of essential resources, a shortage of well-trained teachers, and less-than-ideal...
Playgroups: a simple, cost-effective early childhood development project
Young children learn through play. It is an essential and natural part of their early development. In our community, our Nomakhayas facilitate playgroups for young children (aged 0-3) twice a week. Through play, children develop problem-solving skills as they stack...
Scaling deep
In the world of development, there is a heavy push to scale projects for broader impact. But what is scaling? For us, scaling is not just about doing more of what’s being done in more places; it's about scaling out, scaling up, and, most importantly, scaling...
The journey to end poverty in a generation: Nopumzile’s story
Photo from left to right: Nopumzile (grandmother), Thimna (granddaughter) and Nocawe (daughter). Our goal is to sustainably end poverty in a generation. We emphasise "in a generation" because genuine, transformational change requires time and incremental success....
“People doing good things on the Wild Coast”: Hosting the Wild Coast Forum
What started as a Facebook group ("People doing good things on the Wild Coast") over ten years ago has grown into the annual Wild Coast Forum. Each year, an organisation/backpackers hosts the event and brings together community-based organisations and businesses along...
Transforming local employment opportunities: creating over 400 jobs in an area with one of South Africa’s highest unemployment rates
Addressing the issues of poverty in the context of South Africa is complex. The national unemployment rate has stubbornly hovered around 30%, with rural communities bearing the heaviest burden. In our own Mbhashe municipality, where we are located, we face an alarming...
From seed to seedling to garden to table–we do it all!
As spring approaches and people prepare their gardens, Masilime Ngqo, our seedling nursery, is buzzing. The demand is high and a challenge to keep up with – a good problem to have! Our rural location means we are far from grocery stores, significantly limiting our...
First-ever competition for our Thatha iLiza surf-therapy team
Four years ago, we started Thatha iLiza, a surf-therapy project for youth in our community. The team is part of the Wave Alliance and uses an evidence-based surf therapy programme developed by Waves for Change. The curriculum has been proven to decrease violent and...
Bulungula Health Point 3.0—from mud-hut to mini-clinic
Our community is situated in one of the most remote and rural areas of South Africa. Despite the nearest clinic being less than 10 kilometres away from us, the journey and waiting times for healthcare typically take an entire day. Being far from healthcare in our...
![Ending poverty in a generation: Siyamthanda’s story [part 2]](https://bulungulaincubator.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/EA9163BB-3AD0-4A7B-B2DB-DF6B21877577_1_201_a-400x250.jpeg)
Ending poverty in a generation: Siyamthanda’s story [part 2]
Do you remember Siyamthanda? We are proud to announce that she has graduated from our Job Skills and Entrepreneurship Programme (JSEP), and secured a full-time, permanent job in our community. As a five-year-old, Siyamthanda was part of Jujurha ECD centre's inaugural...
How Bulungula College achieved a 100% pass rate within two years of opening
Bulungula College (BC), founded in 2019, has emerged as a centre of excellence, defying the odds and delivering quality education in the rural Eastern Cape of South Africa. Despite the socio-economic challenges faced by the area, BC has achieved remarkable success,...
Op-ed: Ensuring ongoing access to ARV treatment — The power of community pick-up points
Our community is located in one of the most rural and remote areas of South Africa. To get to the nearest clinic, one must cross the Xhora Mouth River, walk through a dense forest, and climb steep hills for three hours. The long distance to healthcare has severely...
Going digital: Migrating to tablet-based data collection for a streamlined approach
Over the last few years, we have been developing our data system so that we can use it to accurately measure the impact of our projects. This year, we are excited to implement our new (and very improved) tablet-based data collection method. Every month, our...
Changing up our approach to increase literacy outcomes
At Bulungula Incubator, we measure our projects' success by their positive impact on our beneficiaries over the long term. Since starting our organisation in 2007, we have had projects that flourish and others that simply don't. But, we don't get bogged down by...