Ubuntu Beds is an initiative that aims to unite hospitality businesses that now stand empty, with our healthcare workers who are fighting the virus on the front lines.

In the spirit of Ubuntu, hostels, hotels, BnBs and guest-houses which have been hit by travel bans and lock-down will be able to offer safe harbour to our doctors and nurses.

Helping to ensure that tired healthcare workers don’t need to travel long journeys home to their families, we can ensure the safety of more South Africans.

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has grown exponentially, and the risk to healthcare workers is real. In this time of need, we are committed to helping those who put their lives on the line for our community, in the spirit of Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a Nguni Bantu term meaning “humanity.” It is often translated as “I am because we are,” or “humanity towards others,” or in Xhosa, “umntu ngumntu ngabantu “ it also means: “the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity.” Hospitals are geared for medical emergencies, and have jumped into action to provide a safe environment for their teams.

However, a great risk for healthcare workers globally, is the commute to and from the hospitals after their shifts, and the fear of bringing the virus home to family and loved ones. This strategy began in China and is being adopted globally as the pandemic unfolds.

The goal is to find each and every healthcare worker who needs a safe place to sleep near their place of work. So they can focus on keeping people healthy and not where they are going to sleep.

Visit ubuntubeds.org/healthcare for more information