In 2022, Pato Banton and Antoinette Rootsdawtah embarked on a journey across 10 African countries to film the award-winning documentary, The Spirit of Ubuntu. Their mission was to interview various organizations that embody the African philosophy of Ubuntu.
Ubuntu International, in partnership with the Charter for Compassion, presents The Ubuntu Project. This initiative includes an award-winning full-length documentary, a comprehensive guidebook, a short film titled "The Spirit of Ubuntu," a curriculum guide, and extensive resource materials.
Our first objective was to identify and make contact with various and diverse organizations practicing the principles of Ubuntu across the continent of Africa so we could document their unique ways of serving their local communities in a practical way.
Once we identified the organizations, Pato and Antoinette traveled to meet them. We had the privilege to get to know everyone in each organization. Being inquisitive to know anything, everything, and everybody, Antoinette ended up becoming the interviewer for the documentary. The conversations and spending reflective time together gave us an opportunity to know each other on a deeper level.
Once the documentary was completed, Pato created The Spirit of Ubuntu website to showcase the documentary and host the links of the featured organizations so people could learn more about them and support them.
The interactive spinning globe on the Spirit of Ubuntu website homepage symbolizes our goal: to grow the lights all around the planet, highlighting organizations practicing the Ubuntu philosophy. As the saying goes, "We are stronger together."
Imagine every spark of light, each organization practicing Ubuntu, coming together in the Spirit of Unity on the spinning globe. By uniting, we can make the world a better place. This is how we are growing the Ubuntu Family Network.
Growing the Ubuntu Family Network
With this moving globe, we hope the points of light will multiply as we continue to add more Ubuntu-practicing organizations to the Ubuntu Family Network.
We are excited to partner with the next group of organizations to join the Ubuntu Family Network
Links are to external websites. Substack account links are in [brackets]. Some of the groups listed below are members of the Africa Permaculture Support Network founded by
with support from .Nakivale Young Talent Community, Uganda
Sustainable Innovations, Kenya [
]Roland The Forest Farmer, Kenya [
]GoGreen Social Initiative, Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda [
]K5 Village Project, Kenya [
]Boxgirls Kenya, Kenya
Iganga Women and Youth Resource Centre, Uganda
Thuchila Youth Empowerment Program, Malawi
PermoAfrica Centre, Kenya [Substack Link]
Hope for Ethiopia Community Permaculture Project, Ethiopia [
]Kunyasa Dimba Eduplant Inspired Garden, Malawi
Shisaba Water Resource Initiative, Kenya [
]Kotengu Village Farming Project, Kenya
Happy Organic Farm, Kenya
Help Orphans for Future Nation, Uganda
Join the Family and Help us Change The World!
There are a few ways you can become part of this grassroots movement that we believe will change humanity forever as well as plant seeds to bring us into light and life.
Donate! All donations to the Ubuntu Empowerment Fund are made directly to Edentia, Inc. a 501c3 nonprofit religious organization. Edentia is the fiscal sponsor for the Ubuntu Empowerment Fund, providing support for multiple individuals and organizations practicing Ubuntu principles.
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Bravo bravo bravo! Kudos and hats off to Antoinette, Pato, Kumara and the Ubuntu family which is growing by leaps and bounds for launching the Empowerment Fund!
This year I have had the absolute pleasure of joining the Ubuntu International journey with Antoinette Rootsdawtah, Pato Banton, Ted Schmidt, and many others mentioned in this post.
This post previews the growing Ubuntu Family Network of community based organizations in Africa as well as the newly launched Ubuntu Empowerment Fund that seeks to support them.
You can donate directly from this Ubuntu International Substack post or become a paid subscriber to help seed the Ubuntu Empowerment Fund. I'm a paid subscriber and hope you will join me there.
The Spirit of Ubuntu documentary that Antoinette and Pato produced is currently playing at major film festivals worldwide (I'm going along with my boys to the one in NYC in early August). From that energy is blossoming a beautiful movement of people practicing Ubuntu, an African philosophy of mutual support and care.
Those who know me well, know that I've had a love for community development, public service, culture, language, food systems, and permaculture for many years. And, that I've devoted much of my adult life to those causes locally and in Kenya and more recently Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda.
I am just astounded that I fell into this group of people who love what I love! And, I thank Omito Abraham Owuor of K5Village for making that happen. A whole new world has opened up and I'm here for it.
Thank you for the good works that you are doing