Ubuntu/Umunthu

By Isabel Barton

Ubuntu, no not the open source software (although, quick plug, it is the best operating system for those seeking open and transparent software), is a value system and philosophy which arose from Eastern and Southern Africa.  The word means “I am because we are”. It is described as "the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity" (Wikipedia, 2024). In essence, our existence does not matter, in fact we cannot exist, without the existence of others. Therefore, we have a duty to all humans, not just to observe them, but to have humanity towards each other. In many ways, I believe volunteering, is an act of Ubuntu. The act of observing others from different cultures, mutually accepting each others existence, perhaps even our different circumstances, and extending out humanity towards each other. With this philosophy in mind, I hope the following provides context for my trip: what it was, and what it was not. It was a way for me to explore the mutual existence of others who live in a world very different from, yet similar to, my own, and to extend assistance where I could. It was not me travelling to another country thinking I had answers others did not, or that anyone should conform to a particular model of society.

In December 2025, I had the opportunity to volunteer for two weeks with African Impact in Zambia (African Impact, n.d.). African Impact is an international non-governmental organisation (INGO) that works in consultation with local communities to develop projects in animal conservation, education, sustainability, and healthcare. During my short time in Zambia, I assisted with four different community projects:

• Girl Impact: Various schools in the region sign up to the programme, and volunteers together with a programme supervisor attend the school to run weekly Girl Impact and Boy Impact clubs. Class topics vary and include basic anatomy, respectful relationships, menstruation, and HIV/AIDS, among others.
• Sports and Community Development: More than running sport lessons, this project focuses on encouraging equality in sport, teamwork, and building positive relationships between students andtrusted adults.
• Education: Assisting teachers in running classes, developing classroom activities and resources in consultation with teachers, and running after-school activities such as a reading club. Environmental Action: Recycling bottles to make eco-bricks for building tree guards and seating in community areas, and running an after-school environmental club.

As you can see, two weeks is really not enough time.

Arrival

On the flight from Doha to Lusaka, it was hard to comprehend that these two airports exist for the same purpose, serving the same species: moving people from location A to location B. Stepping off the plane into the dry heat, I’m not going to lie, I was apprehensive. What had I signed up for, travelling to a country I did not know well, volunteering for an organisation where I knew no one? It seemed presumptuous to assume that anything I did could make much of an impact. On reflection I realise that, yes, it is true I alone did not help the community of Livingstone to achieve its goals of gender equality or increased individual agency. Instead, the collective and cumulative efforts of volunteers from around the world, and primarily the local African Impact staff and the community members they consult, have made a significant impact. They have become a trusted point of contact for women and girls, and a space to facilitate further education and opportunity.

From Lusaka I flew on a small plane, perhaps 50 seats at most, to Livingstone, the community where I would be volunteering for the next 2 weeks. Livingstone sits on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, beside Victoria Falls. The falls look as though the earth has split in two directly over the Zambezi River, with canyon walls rising on either side as tonnes of water gush over the edge, falling 100s of metres to the winding river below.
 

Figure 1 : Victoria Falls

At the airport, I waited for a driver, my eSIM failing to find any connection. This was my first opportunity to embrace the easygoing mantra that seems to echo throughout Eastern Africa, except perhaps Nairobi, "No hurry in Africa." I should not have doubted it. Forty minutes later, a driver arrived, and I quickly learned that when someone says they will do something in Zambia, in my experience, they do.

Understanding the Context

Livingstone is a peculiar town in some ways. Victoria Falls draws tourists from around the world, though far fewer than the neighbouring town of Victoria Falls just across the border in Zimbabwe. Alongside tourism, the town has the beginnings of industry, with several trucking services operating in the area. But as you move away from the main highway and city centre, the roads quickly fade from bitumen into sandy, compacted dirt. Houses transition from brick to clay, and the primary mode of transport is walking tens of kilometres a day to reach school, work, or shops. Let me run you through some quick statistics as I feel they add significant context:

One statistic that stands out immediately upon arrival is the fertility rate. In Australia the fertility rate is 1.73 births per woman, compared to 4.42 in Zambia (World Bank, 2024). This means there are roughly three times as many children visible everywhere, most of them outside playing sport or helping their parents.

Education

Due to numerous factors including the number of kids in Zambia there is significant demand on the education system. does come with its challenges though. At one class, which had inflated numbers as regular classes were suspended due to exams, I assisted another volunteer, Fernando, in teaching long multiplication to approximately 80 students. Some students did not have paper or pencils, and students crammed into seats, eager to learn.  However, if you thought it was hard to focus in a class of 20 in primary school, try a class of 80. It is nearly impossible for one teacher to ensure no student slips through the cracks, not due to any lack of care or passion from teachers, but due to a shortage of resources and continuity. To be honest, long multiplication was a tough sell, but short multiplication games were definitely a hit.
 

Figure 2: Running Eco - Club at a Local School

Sustainability and the Plastic Problem

I spent most of my mornings on the sustainability project. The plastic problem in Africa is not over hyped. I read a book recently describing the ripped soft plastic bags on trees like leaves. Typically, disposing of waste at the tip requires payment, which substantially reduces the incentive to do so properly. The common local preference is to burn waste. However, plastic does not burn cleanly, it releases toxic fumes and creates a host of other problems. The third option is to leave waste along the streets, much of which is then carried across the plains by weather events after partial burning attempts.

As you can see, the options for addressing this issue are limited. One approach to tackling plastic bottle waste, aside from holding corporations such as Coca-Cola accountable, given their visible sponsorship of public infrastructure in towns like Arusha, has been to create eco-bricks. This involves stuffing plastic bottles with other soft plastics until they become firm. Approximately 70 of these eco-bricks can be used to construct a tree guard. Larger projects include seats and pathways located at schools and communal areas. There are some challenges associated with this approach:

• Maintenance: ensuring the structures do not deteriorate during the rainy season and re-pollute the area.
• Wildlife: if placed on elephant paths, structures risk being damaged.
• Lifespan: the plastic will eventually deteriorate to a point where it will need to go to landfill.

It is not a perfect solution, but it is a start. In Australia we talk a great deal about transition, energy transition, temporary housing, and so on. In some ways, this is the same. There must be intermediary steps, and proaction is generally preferable to inaction.
 

Figure 3: Chiza and Me Making Tree Guards From Eco-Bricks

Community

During my eco-brick building time, I worked primarily with Chiza and Justin. Chiza is a young man from Livingstone who is currently building his own business selling soccer jerseys. During our daily work we often discussed life in our respective home countries, exchanging stories of politics, local legends and what our daily lives consist of. It was genuinely cherished time, during which I felt I came to understand something of the place, its challenges, and its community. I think this was the essence of ubuntu in practice. I believe this was Ubuntu in practice: two people from entirely different worlds, working together for community, learning about their similarities and differences. The emotions we both felt as humans were the same, even when the reasons behind them, what caused them, what shaped them, were entirely different. Yet they could still hurt and bring joy all the same.

Greenstretch Consultants: E-Waste Recycling 

Figure 4: Reuben teaching me how to dismantle e-waste

On the topic of sustainability, I have to mention the day that I spent volunteering for Greenstretch Consultants Limited (Greenstretch, n.d.). Greenstretch is a 100% Zambian-owned company operating one of the only e-waste recycling facilities in the country. They focus on the recovery, collection, transportation, and recycling of electronic and electrical waste. I spoke with Reuben, an electrical engineer who completed his studies in Zambia, who spends most of his days sorting through e-waste to identify and fixing items that can be repaired and resold. I was genuinely impressed by the range of CD players, monitors, and motors he had restored. My own task was considerably more straightforward: dismantling electronics deemed irreparable, stripping out screws, motherboards, metals, and plastics by hand. As they say, it is always easier to take something apart than to put it back together. Their approach,  purchasing e-waste directly from the community to incentivise recycling, is a first of its kind in Zambia and shows significant promise and foresight.

Reflections

There is so much to say, and so many unique experiences, that it is impossible to capture them all in these few words. I am still reflecting on the experience and working out what I have learned and how to align my actions with those learnings. A few things I do know:

• The collective human experience crosses country borders and cultural boundaries. No matter how far apart we may seem, we all have something in common.
• Solutions are like pathways under construction. You have to lay them down one brick at a time, and sometimes they may be misaligned, but the important thing is that you are laying a foundation that will carry the community forward, together.
• We can all help each other. We are not limited to those in our immediate network. We often discuss globalisation in purely economic terms, or resist it out of a desire for cultural protection. Both perspectives, I think, miss the key point. As a species, most of us can agree on wanting to live healthy, fulfilled lives, and to achieve that, I believe we need to work together, not compete to be the dominant nation.

I am very grateful to everyone who made this trip possible. In particular, I would like to thank the Livers Academy, all the staff and volunteers at African Impact, the teachers from partner schools in Zambia, and Greenstretch Company Limited.

If you agree, disagree, or would like to know more about the experience, please reach out, I would love to discuss.

References

African Impact. (n.d.). Community and conservation volunteering in Africa. https://africanimpact.com/

Greenstretch Consultants Limited. (n.d.). E-waste recycling Zambia. https://www.greenstretch.co/

The Global Economy. (2024). Zambia unemployment rate. https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Zambia/

UNICEF. (2024). Country statistics: Australia. https://data.unicef.org/country/aus/

Wikipedia. (2024). Ubuntu philosophy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_philosophy

World Bank. (2024). Fertility rate, total (births per woman) — Zambia, Australia. World Bank Open Data.

World Health Organization. (2024). Country health profile: Zambia. https://data.who.int/countries/036

Worldometers. (2024). GDP by country. https://www.worldometers.info/gdp/gdp-by-country/