‘Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are’
BULELWA Basse is the founder of Lyrical Base Project, a literary and performing arts organisation that promotes the profiles of writers and performing artists from disenfranchised communities in South Africa through community publishing projects and creates a showcase platform at corporate, government and community cultural events.
She is founder of Sisters in Solidarity SA, an organisation which empowers women through skills development, capacity building workshops, career development and financial education workshops.
Sisters in Solidarity SA engages South Africans on the subject of managing finances.
She offers – with the assistance of financial experts – strategic ways of budgeting and saving finances in order to empower, and in turn, invest in families and communities.
Basse is passionate about youth and women’s issues. She strives to bring relevant information to rural areas, townships and peri-urban communities as a means of community development.
Her wish is to travel the African continent and engage communities to establish ways toward self-sustainability.
Says Basse: “When communities merge to nurture their available resources, they have the capacity to become a great example to the world.”
Basse is also the ambassador of Brand South Africa – Play Your Part Initiative. This inculcates a culture of doing what you can, with what you have, wherever you are!
She is a proud South African – although she considers herself a citizen of the world.
A mentor to the young and an inspiration to the old, Basse looks up to her grandmother and mother as sources of inspiration, strength and courage.
As a writer, she has published at the Poetry Institute of Africa, the University of KwaZulu Natal Press, Oprah Magazine and publications supported by the Department of Arts and Culture.
As a performing artist, she has collaborated with Arts Cape Theatre, British Council, Centre for the Book, the South African Museums and the Steve Biko Foundation.
Basse has worked with various national and international community development organisations, literary establishments and creative arts centres in her capacity as writer, performing artist, culture activist/ambassador, artist manager, community development practitioner, corporate MC/programme director, project director/events co-ordinator, language facilitator, as well as being a mouthpiece for 16 Days of Activism against Women and Children Abuse.
Her capacity as a guest speaker, incorporated in all her respective roles, has benefited many communities, who have learnt through her philosophy, to take the initiative to play one’s part and elevate ordinary lives to become a richly empowered society.
Her stance is: “When the universe compels you to live up to your purpose – there is no grey area to confuse the plot.”
She says: “The greatest injustice mankind could ever commit, upon itself, is that of never aspiring to live up to its full potential.”
Basse has travelled as South African ambassador to India (Coimbatore, Kerala, South Rajasthan) and the UK.
She has been in solidarity with the Western Saharans who are refugees in Algeria.
Basse visited Algeria for the annual FiSahara Festival in 2014.