Rebuilding Phoenix, one school at a time.
SSBF is a community-led non-profit taking responsibility for the future of Phoenix, Durban — starting with the basics every child needs to learn: clean water, power, and a safe school to walk into.
Why Simunye Satya Bharat Foundation exists
Phoenix, north of Durban, traces its roots to land Mahatma Gandhi settled in 1904 and to the formal township established in 1976 to house low-income families — one of the largest Indian communities in the world outside India. Today it is home to roughly 200,000 people.
Over the past two decades, service delivery in Phoenix has declined sharply. Crime, unemployment and ageing infrastructure have taken a toll, and an ongoing water crisis — driven by leaking pipes, failing pump stations, load shedding and, in places, deliberate sabotage of infrastructure for profit — has left many households and schools without reliable water for large parts of every day.
And yet Phoenix has never stopped producing people of excellence — entrepreneurs, doctors, engineers, academics and community leaders who carry the name of their home township with pride wherever they go. SSBF was founded on the belief that Phoenix's next generation deserves the same chance: a stable place to learn, grow and build a future, without government having to do it for them, or for us.
We start with water because water is the foundation everything else stands on. A school without water cannot run a science lab, cannot flush a toilet, cannot keep a child hydrated through a summer exam — and a community without functioning schools cannot build its next generation of leaders.
Our Mission
To restore dignity, continuity and opportunity to Phoenix schools and families by delivering practical, community-driven infrastructure solutions — starting with water — and by building the systems of self-reliance that allow the community to sustain its own upliftment.
Our Vision
A Phoenix where every school has the water, power and facilities it needs to teach without interruption, where retired professionals mentor the next generation, and where the community funds and manages its own upliftment — rising, like its namesake, from hardship into renewal.
Our Approach
We work directly with school principals, School Governing Bodies and local stakeholders, and we bring in corporate and community funding to install lasting infrastructure — not once-off handouts. Every project is designed to be maintained by the community it serves.
Our Values
These values guide every project we take on, from the first school visit to the last tap installed.
Simunye — Unity
We rally together across culture, religion and background, the same way earlier generations built halls, schools and places of worship side by side.
Satya — Truth & Integrity
Every rand raised is accounted for. Every promise made to a school or a sponsor is one we intend to keep.
Education First
We believe education is the single greatest lever for lifting a family — and a community — out of hardship.
Self-Reliance
We are not waiting for someone else to fix Phoenix. We are building the tools for Phoenix to fix itself.
Generational Investment
Every generation should hand the next one a better starting point — through sacrifice, mentorship and shared resources.
Practical Impact
We favour durable infrastructure and measurable outcomes over once-off gestures.
Registration & Governance
SSB Foundation NPC — Registration No. 2024/542394/08 — operating as the Simunye Satya Bharat Foundation (SSBF).
SSBF is registered as a South African non-profit company and is in the process of registering as a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO), which will allow the Foundation to issue Section 18A tax certificates to South African donors once approved by SARS. We are also establishing dedicated administration, bookkeeping and independent auditing functions to ensure every donation is properly recorded and reported on.
- Registered non-profit company (NPC)
- PBO / Section 18A registration in progress
- Independent bookkeeping and annual audit
- Governed by a founding board with community and professional representation
Get in touch with the team
We're building out a full-time administrative team as the Foundation grows. In the meantime, all enquiries are welcomed at:
Email: info@simunyesatya.org
WhatsApp: +27 83 799 3490
Address: The Centenary, 30 Meridian Drive, Umhlanga, 4319 (by appointment only)