Africa requires people with a servant’s heart

—people who aren’t looking to aggrandize or find themselves.
People who simply see that there’s a job to do and do it for
the sake of love. People who pick up the basin and the towel
and humbly wash the feet of the suffering.

- Jim Cantelon, "When God Stood Up

TUMAI was founded with the commitment of providing safe water, shelter, essential nutrition, and proper healthcare to those in need around the world.

Tumai was first created in 2005 by James Maddalone with two others under the name Temba (Zulu for "hope"). James supplied the initial vision for Temba and invested a lasting vision in the organization to see children from impoverished communities given hope and a chance for an otherwise unknown future.

In April 2006, James reorganized Temba into Tumai (Swahili verb for "to hope") and Bob Downey, Charl Coode, and Steven Britz were added to the team making these four people the head of the organization. Since 2006, Tumai started work with several NGO's in South Africa and has so far aided projects dealing with safe water and sanitation, nutrition, orphan housing, wellness and medical, and child care.

Core Values

• Empower people by fostering sustainable development, instead of a cycle of dependency.
• Accountability, transparency, reliability, and consistency in business practice
• Reliable, consistent tracking and reporting of our effectiveness
• Promote the preservation of life for all people, regardless of race, creed or religion.

How We Work

Partnering with and supporting current and future organizations that:

1. Provide permanent quality of life changes to communities living in abject poverty, focusing on safe water and sanitation issues, and
2. Fight HIV/AIDS, manage those living with this disease, assist in the care of affected communities, and provide hope to those living in abject poverty.

Mission

• Meeting basic human needs by a commitment to partnering with like-minded organizations in the effort to provide services and programs to the poor and sick among the world’s population.
  
• Proactively seeking to facilitate the establishment of lifestyle changes and health aids which will become sustainable development.

South African Directors:

• Steven Britz, Johannesburg, South Africa
• Charl Coode, Johannesburg, South Africa

US Director:

• Robert Downey, Martinsburg, West Virginia, USA