The Umvoto Foundation (TUF) is a Cape Town-based non-profit organisation (NPO) that was, in their early years, funded by and born from work completed by Umvoto. TUF’s work began in 2017 in response to Cape Town’s surface water shortage, which by end of the summers of 2017 and 2018, saw the capacity of local dams dropping to 20%. There was a clear and desperate need for an improved understanding of and the infrastructure needed for introducing groundwater into local and regional bulk water reticulation networks, to improve water security for the City of Cape Town.

TUF’s scope has broadened since 2017, and now depends on a collaborative approach, with it’s team consisting of world-class research scientific, engineering, health, artistic, cultural and public engagement specialists. TUF focuses on advocacy, outreach, education, research and transformative arts to develop community capacity in achieving clean and healthy ecosystems and foster an understanding of using environmental and water resources. These efforts are to ultimately work towards environmental rehabilitation as well as these communities having increased resilience to the effects of climate change.

Since it’s introduction to the community at the Green Climate Fund Conference in April 2019, TUF has added several initiatives to it’s programme and grown it’s vast network. Visit theumvotofoundation.org to learn more about the NPO’s work or to get involved with one of TUF’s initiatives.

Update: TUF is in the process of establishing a Series of Geotrails in southern Africa and abroad! Visit theumvotofoundation.org to find out more information or book a spot on one of the early hikes.