Latest News
Unlock the potential of South Africa’s youth: Hire our skilled JSEP graduates today!
Are you looking for reliable and skilled workers for your business? Our newest Job Skills and Entrepreneurship Programme (JSEP) graduates are equipped and ready to start their first job. Our programme trains youth from our community to develop their skillsets and gain...
The power of community radio in rural communities
Even with the proliferation of communication platforms and technology, radio remains our community’s foolproof solution for connection, information and entertainment—almost every home you visit will have a battery-powered radio. You will find the coveted device up...
How our rural way of life is a model for environmental sustainability
Our rural community's lack of access to basic resources, such as electricity or running water, presents some of our most pressing challenges. Yet, this circumstance makes our community's lifestyle inherently environmentally sustainable. In many rural and remote...
100% pregnant learner retention rate at Bulungula College—how our inclusive policy enables pregnant and mother learners to stay in school
Around one in four female school-going adolescents in South Africa report being pregnant. Of these learners, only 30-50% will return to school— contributing to the country’s concerning high-school dropout rate. Not finishing school due to pregnancy and early...
Measles outbreak response: vaccine drive and awareness campaign
Since December 2022, a Measles outbreak has spread throughout a number of areas in South Africa. Measles is a childhood disease that is highly contagious but is prevented with an effective and safe vaccine. South African public health clinics vaccinate babies ages six...
Bulungula College achieves a 100% Matric pass rate—the first time in the history of our region!
Halala halala halala! We are overjoyed (and a bit speechless) to announce that ALL of our learners have passed Matric at Bulungula College! This is the first time in the history of Elliotdale to achieve a 100% pass rate. A big congratulations to our second-ever...
From countless deaths to achieving zero defaults—ten years of HIV/AIDS work in our rural community
Ten years ago, we lost a beloved colleague to HIV/AIDS. In those days, BI did not have a health programme yet and accessing any kind of healthcare was a mission. The only option for community members to get ARVs (HIV treatment) was to walk a tiring 2 hours to the...
Planting the seeds for understanding—a toolkit to support persons with disabilities
For the month of November, we recognise and celebrate Disability Awareness Month around the world. The CDC defines a disability as, “any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities...
Final push for Bulungula College Matrics
Matric exams are underway at Bulungula College! This is will be Bulungula College’s second-ever graduating Matric class. We revved up exam preparation with our Final Push Matric Camp. For 6-weeks, our learners stay at Bulungula College to get extra study time...
New handyman course at our Job Skills and Entrepreneurship Programme
From Preconception to Career. Our strategy supports people from our community throughout their working lifetime, providing education, training, and opportunities to build productive careers. Since 2020 we have been crafting our Job Skills and Entrepreneurship...
Op-ed: Bulungula shows how social connectedness can improve economic opportunities for young people
"The lodge and Bulungula Incubator have been a boon for the community. Over the years, Bulungula Lodge has attracted more than 130 000 visitors, and BI pulls in funders and partners to support its projects. Today, Bulungula is a far cry from the isolated community it...
The spark for a virtuous cycle: how our projects create a multiplier effect
Bulungula Incubator was founded in 2007 with the mission to provide the tools necessary to develop self-reliance and independence in our community. Poverty is more than just the circumstance of not having enough money to buy food or other material items. The effects...
Change IS possible.
A global education crisis, inflation, war, climate change, pandemic… the state of our world can feel alarming— and these are challenges added to the heap of issues we are already facing. In these difficult times, it is easy to feel pessimistic or apathetic about...
Reducing alcohol harms in our community
One in 10 deaths in South Africa is associated with alcohol use. Of those who consume alcohol, half of men and a third of women binge drink. Alcohol consumption is such a widespread issue in the country, that during the COVID-19 lockdown there was a complete ban on...
How our health programme can be a model for the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme
The Bulungula Incubator was invited by Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism to be part of a group of 10 different organisations (amandla.mobi, Africa Health Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Ezintsha @Wits University, Rural...
Transformational impact through incremental change: Siyamthanda’s story
How can you focus on early childhood education if a third of babies are dying of diarrhoea diseases? How can you keep a population healthy if you live a full-day walk away from the nearest clinic? How can you excel as a student if you struggle to read because of poor...
A centre for excellence: Bulungula College midyear update
We have reached the midyear mark at Bulungula College (BC). With only two terms left, we celebrate our achievements and reflect on how we can improve before the end of the school year. We pride ourselves as a centre of excellence and a model for what quality...
Using data for greater impact
For the past 15 years, we have been implementing projects from Preconception-to-Career across education, healthcare, sustainable livelihoods and youth development in four villages. Since January, our Nomakhayas have provided one-on-one HIV education to 568 community...
How young people spend their time matters— providing our youth with fun & age-appropriate activities
A month of celebrating our youth in South Africa has been clouded by the recent, tragic deaths of twenty-one children at a tavern in East London. This horrible event has emphasised the importance, and vital need, for structured environments for young people to enjoy...
Supporting our learners to get a second chance at a Matric certificate
We are committed to going the extra mile with our learners to ensure they can finish high school. Prior to the opening of the Bulungula College (BC) in 2019, there was no option for secondary school in our area, and no functional transport to other schools. The only...