I Am Because You Are: How the Spirit of Ubuntu Inspired an Unlikely Friendship and Transformed a Community

Jacob Lief and Andrea Thompson

ISBN 10: 1623364493 / ISBN 13: 9781623364496

Published by Rodale Press Inc., 2015

About this Item

***Simply Brit*** Welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there is something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.

Seller Inventory # 4112882

Bibliographic Details

• Title: I Am Because You Are: How the Spirit of Ubuntu Inspired an Unlikely Friendship and Transformed a Community
• Publisher: Rodale Press Inc.
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1623364493
• ISBN 13: 9781623364496
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Used; Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

In 1998, Jacob Lief, a 21-year-old American university student, met school teacher Malizole "Banks" Gwaxula in a township tavern in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. After bonding over beers and a shared passion for education, Gwaxula invited Lief to live with him in the township. Inspired by their fortuitous meeting-which brought together two men separated by race, nationality, and age-and by the spirit of ubuntu, roughly translated as "I am because you are"-the two men embarked on an unexpectedly profound journey.

Their vision? To provide vulnerable children in the townships with what every child deserves-everything.

Today, their organization, Ubuntu Education Fund, is upending conventional wisdom about how to break the cycle of poverty. Shunning traditional development models, Ubuntu has redefined the concept of scale, focusing on how deeply it can impact each child's life rather than how many it can reach. Ubuntu provides everything a child needs and deserves, from prenatal care for pregnant mothers to support through university-essentially, from cradle to career. Their child-centered approach reminds us that one's birthplace should not determine one's future.

I Am Because You Are sets forth an unflinching portrayal of the unique rewards and challenges of the nonprofit world while offering a bold vision for a new model of development.

About the Author

Jacob Lief is the cofounder and CEO of Ubuntu Education Fund. In 2010, he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and, in 2012, he was selected as a member of the Clinton Global Initiative advisory board. He splits his time between Brooklyn, New York, and Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Andrea Thompson is an editor and author whose writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The San Francisco Chronicle.