17 December 2025

We are delighted to share an important milestone for our foundation: ES VICIS and its South African partners have agreed to launch the Welcome to My Village model in the OR Tambo District, one of the regions most affected by poverty and rural-to-urban migration. As ReimagineSA’s Executive Director, Luvuyo Madasa, beautifully expressed after an inspiring week of collective work: “An incredible week and an important step in the right direction. Time to activate the broad network of partners… to ensure the movement and our complementary models bring impact to the different communities we serve.” This spirit of collaboration is exactly what defines and strengthens the path ahead. We will begin in four to five communities within OR Tambo, Eastern Cape, in close collaboration with ReimagineSA, the LEAP Institute, ECRDA, and the House of Traditional & Khoi-San Leaders, with the strategic support of the Swiss Embassy. A Strong and Growing Alliance This project represents a remarkable collective commitment among community organizations, provincial institutions, traditional leadership, civil society, and Swiss cooperation partners. It embodies the shared belief that sustainable transformation emerges when local leadership, global expertise, and community voices converge. Operational implementation begins in 2026, while Swiss philanthropic partners are being engaged to complete the multi-year funding structure for 2026–2028. 👉 Read ReimagineSA executive director’s full reflection on LinkedIn  A Turning Point for Communities in OR Tambo This milestone marks the beginning of a transformative effort in one of the regions with the greatest challenges — and greatest human potential. Why a Cross-Sector Collaboration Model Matters Advancing meaningful and lasting transformation in OR Tambo requires more than isolated initiatives. The region faces a web of interconnected structural challenges — poverty, historical exclusion, limited economic diversification, youth unemployment, infrastructure gaps, and persistent rural-to-urban migration. These dynamics cannot be solved by any single institution working alone. The Welcome to My Village model provides a shared framework that aligns community leadership, government actors, civil society, traditional authorities, private-sector innovators, and international partners. Through the Hub, Deep Mapping, and plug-in solutions, the model transforms fragmented efforts into coordinated, mutually reinforcing action. Cross-sector collaboration is not optional here — it is the precondition for unlocking OR Tambo’s potential. With a model that offers common tools, a common language, and a roadmap for implementation, communities can move from complexity to clarity, from fragmentation to structural solutions, and from long-standing limitations to long-term possibility. Together Forward We are deeply inspired to walk this journey alongside partners who share the conviction that communities can regenerate themselves through their own leadership, knowledge, and collective vision of the future. Together, we take the first steps toward revitalizing rural ecosystems, expanding opportunities for youth and families, and laying the groundwork for long-term well-being across the Eastern Cape.