SR EF Legacy of Purpose Foundation
Her life became our purpose.Her legacy became our mission.
Born from the life and service of Sr. Elizabeth Funie Shabalala, the SR EF Legacy of Purpose Foundation exists to help people heal, rebuild, discover purpose and move forward with dignity.
Live on Purpose · Serve on Purpose · Love on Purpose
Who We Are
Humanity is the mission.Purpose is how we serve.
The SR EF Legacy of Purpose Foundation is a human-centred organisation turning compassion into practical action.
Inspired by the life and service of Sr. Elizabeth Funie Shabalala, we support people through education, family relief, dignity initiatives, mentorship, emotional support, skills development, creative healing and responsible pathways to further care.
Our work has already reached children, families, young people and individuals in South Africa and beyond.
We are now strengthening the partnerships, funding, systems and team required to grow that work without losing the privacy, dignity and humanity at its centre.
Her legacy opened the door.Humanity became the mission.
Why We Exist
Too many people are expected to survive grief, poverty, isolation, interrupted education, lost opportunity and emotional pain without enough support or a realistic next step. We exist to help turn that next step into something practical.
Who We Are
We are a community of people, programmes and partners committed to helping human beings stabilise, rebuild, develop their potential and move towards greater independence.
Our Mission
To restore dignity, strengthen people and communities, and create practical pathways towards healing, education, skills, relief, purpose, leadership and sustainable independence.
Our Vision
To build a global community where people are seen, supported and equipped to rebuild their lives, develop their potential and pass opportunity forward.
No life should be treated as disposable.No person should have to surrender their dignity in order to receive help.Every human being deserves truth, opportunity and a realistic path towards rebuilding.
The Life Behind the Legacy
Sr. Elizabeth Funie Shabalala
Professional nurse. Educator. Mother. Mentor. Builder of people.
Sr. Elizabeth Funie Shabalala served people in classrooms, hospitals, homes and ordinary conversations. She cared without needing applause, taught with patience, and left people stronger than she found them. The Foundation carries her name because her life proved that service is not a performance. It is a way of living.
Her legacy is not being preserved as a static memorial. It is being carried forward through work that protects dignity, strengthens people, creates opportunity and reminds those who feel forgotten that their lives still matter.
What We Do
Practical support that leads somewhere.
From school fees, uniforms, school shoes and stationery to food assistance, dignity support, mentorship, skills training, online healing conversations and responsible connections to further care, our work begins with real needs.
But immediate help is not the final destination.
Where possible, we connect relief with education, practical skills, emotional restoration, mentorship and pathways towards independence.
The Foundation
Seven Pillars. One Purpose.
Different lives require different forms of support. These seven pillars organise the Foundation's work without reducing people to one problem, one label or one chapter of their lives.
Family, Community & Human Development
Belonging, families, neighbourhoods and the people who carry the work in community.
DiscoverMental Health & Emotional Restoration
Counselling, grief support, mental wellness and the honest work of emotional recovery.
DiscoverEducation, Children & Future Empowerment
Children, girls, youth, schooling and the futures we help protect and prepare.
DiscoverThe Legacy Village
A long-term vision for a place of restoration, dignity, formation and belonging.
DiscoverHumanitarian Relief & Dignity Restoration
Practical relief, food, essentials and dignity work in seasons of crisis and need.
DiscoverCreative Healing, Music & Storytelling
Music, spoken word, writing, stories and creative expression as real forms of healing.
DiscoverPurpose, Leadership & Economic Empowerment
Identity, purpose discovery, mentorship, leadership formation and livelihood pathways.
DiscoverFeatured Vision
The Legacy Village
A place to pause, stabilise, heal, learn and begin again.
The Legacy Village is the Foundation's long-term vision for a safe and dignified place where people facing crisis can receive structured support while rebuilding their lives.
It is not currently an operating facility. It is a staged development vision that will require land, professional planning, legal and regulatory compliance, responsible partnerships, qualified personnel, substantial funding and transparent governance.
Future aims
- Safe short-term accommodation
- Emotional support and responsible referrals
- Rehabilitation and recovery partnerships
- Education and digital learning
- Skills development and employment readiness
- Transitional support toward independent living
Each item is a stated future aim, not a current service.
Service in Action
The work is already happening.
School fees have been supported for five children.
Further support has included uniforms, school shoes, stationery, food assistance, dignity products, mentorship, access to skills development, emotional support and connections to further care.
The identities and private circumstances of the people receiving support are protected.
A Daughter Before a Founder
Nokulunga Sweetness Shabalala
Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director
Nokulunga Sweetness Shabalala, known publicly as IamSweetNokuOnPurpose, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the SR EF Legacy of Purpose Foundation.
Her work brings together healing, education, humanitarian service, leadership, faith, storytelling, music and purpose development. The Foundation was born from the life and service of her mother, Sr. Elizabeth Funie Shabalala, but it is being built to serve generations far beyond one family.
Nokulunga describes herself as a daughter before she is a founder. She is building an institution that helps people heal honestly, think independently, discover purpose, develop practical skills and leave better than they arrived.
“I am not building this because grief gave me a project. I am building it because my mother's life gave me a responsibility.”
Join the Movement
Do not just support a moment.Help us build what comes next.
We are building a community of helpers, professionals, partners, volunteers and supporters who believe that dignity should be protected, opportunity should be shared and help should lead somewhere.
You are not being invited merely to become a donor.
You are being invited to become part of a legacy of purposeful service.
Trust Centre
Transparency is part of our service.
The SR EF Legacy of Purpose Foundation is being built with dignity, accountability and care. Our policies explain how we handle information, donations, safeguarding, conflicts of interest and the responsibilities entrusted to us.