The link between humanitarianism and South African heritage
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) believes there is a link between its humanitarian aid philosophy and the spirit of Ubuntu - a southern African ideology meaning 'humanness' or 'humanism'.
MSF currently has projects in over 65 countries, often assisting victims of conflict or disease.
It led the battle against the spread of Ebola in West Africa in which more than 11 000 people lost their lives.
The organisation has now launched the #WeCare campaign in an effort to educate South Africans about humanitarianism and further encourages the spirit of Ubuntu in South Africans.
"We don't often hear a lot of talk in the public discourse about what humanitarianism is, what the values and the principles are that underpin it," said MSF's head of communications Borrie La Grange.
La Grange highlighted independence and impartiality, among others, as important values - especially when the organisation provides humanitarian assistance in conflict zones.
MSF has also played a significant role in South Africa's recent history.
La Grange said the organisation established an HIV project in Khayelitsha in the Western Cape in 1999.
This project is still underway.
MSF has since established projects in KwaZulu-Natal and Rustenburg where the organisation assists victims of gender based violence.
Given the organisation's presence in southern Africa (MSF first assisted Mozambicans during the civil war in the 1980s), it now has a large number of South African field workers involved in some of its projects across the world.
"This stems from the fact that South Africans are generally caring and the spirit of Ubuntu has been deeply entrenched in its people," the organisation said in a statement.
As South Africans mark heritage day, established 20 years ago, MSF wants the country to have a better understanding of the principles underpinning humanitarianism.
"It shouldn't depend on what your identity is, whether you're a man a woman, what religion you practice or what you're political affiliations are," he explained, adding, "our actions are motivated purely because people require medical care in order to survive in crisis situations," he said.
He said South Africa has a strong heritage in terms of Ubuntu, but questioned why people often don't reach out to those in suffering despite the strong tradition.