Ilima Lokufunda

Ilima is a Xhosa word referring to the tradition where community members come together to plough each other’s fields. Ilima Lokufunda was founded by the communities of the Mqanduli region in the Eastern Cape in 2008, and seeks to introduce ilima values to South Africa’s modern education system.

In the past two years, 20 schools and 12 600 pupils have benefited from the organisation and the work of community members and volunteers under its supervision.

Ilima Lokufunda aims to establish an annual ritual where communities in South Africa come together before the start of each school year to ensure that pupils have adequate facilities and surroundings when they arrive at school for their first day.

This year, for example, the objective was to ensure that schools in the network were painted in bright colours and had appropriate floors and adequate blackboards.

This was made possible by the physical efforts of community members. This is the type of community spirit that Ilima Lokufunda hopes to generate all around South Africa, by building working relationships between schools and the communities they serve.

Ilima Lokufunda initiates and co-ordinates the process of refurbishing the schools involved in the project, sourcing the materials and personnel required.

During the past two years, some 250 students from the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape have taken trips around South Africa to voluntarily assist Ilima Lokufunda in its activities, and returned to their studies with a new understanding of community spirit and vision.

In 2010, Ilima Lokufunda will be looking to continue this work as well as expanding the network to include other schools around the country. The organisation will continue to receive assistance from the Department of Education, the Department of Public Works and the youth radio station TruFM.