The Team and Founders
“iLula” comes from the Zulu word for “easy.” At iLula, our goal is to make facilitation and workshop design easy, motivating, fun, and accessible. By simplifying the process, we aim to inspire and empower facilitators and participants alike, creating engaging and effective learning experiences for all.”
At iLula, we believe that good facilitation can transform the way people learn, collaborate, and create change together. Whether in classrooms, organisations, teams, communities, or leadership settings, we see facilitation as the art of creating spaces where people can participate meaningfully, bring their perspectives, challenge their thinking, and develop ideas together.
Our work is grounded in many years of experience designing and facilitating learning spaces with diverse groups and in different contexts. Working extensively with young people has taught us a great deal about participation, engagement, learning, and creating spaces where different voices can be heard. At the same time, our experience extends far beyond youth work: we facilitate with educators, professionals, organisations, teams, community leaders, and other groups navigating complex questions and change.
Our core work is the design and facilitation of participatory, interactive, and transformative workshops and learning experiences. With over 20 years of combined experience in facilitation and workshop design, we bring together practical experience, reflection, theory, and a constantly growing toolbox of approaches.
Through iLula, we share this knowledge with educators, facilitators, managers, team leaders, community leaders, and anyone who wants to become more intentional and effective in how they facilitate groups. Our aim is not simply to provide a collection of methods, but to support people in developing the mindset, skills, and judgement to design and hold spaces that are participative, engaging, inclusive, and meaningful.
Our Vision & Mission
About the founding organisations
iLula grew out of an international exchange project between step into action in Switzerland and Engage South Africa. What began as a shared learning journey around facilitation has since evolved into two independent iLula initiatives - one in Switzerland and one in South Africa - connected by a shared passion for transformative learning and meaningful participation.
step into action’s approach involves organising interactive events and workshops, where we proudly accommodate over 12,000 adolescents and engage the dedication of over 700 young volunteers.
Our extensive involvement in these events, workshops, and training sessions has endowed us with invaluable expertise in skillfully facilitating and fostering interactive environments tailored to diverse groups.
We also bring the conversation of education for sustainable development and Inner Development Goals to schools, universities, the public sector and the corporate world, with the goal of providing a supportive environment where individuals can turn their personal potential into meaningful action.
Engage South Africa is a Johannesburg- based NGO committed to strengthening democracy and human rights through the promotion of youth participation.
Since roll-out of our programmes in 2018, we have trained more than 1000 youth with our my.voice leadership and civic education programme, mentored 66 youth-led community initiatives and empowered over 2000 youth through workshops and events in 4 provinces.
We provide a variety of leadership and civic engagement programmes for youth, particularly high school age, that equip young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence for active leadership and participation, empower and support youth to be co-creators of community-based action for human rights and democracy, and connect youth to platforms and decision-making spaces where they can exercise their civic rights and responsibilities.
Our Partner
