Oprah doing her bit for Africa

[lata]

Kanti uJesu ubengibona uma ngikhala" (So Jesus was watching over me when I was crying).

Gladys Zulu uttered these words on Sunday after television talk show queen Oprah Winfrey announced that her granddaughter Buhle Zulu, 11, was to be one of the pupils of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. The R175-million girls' school, built on about 9ha of land in Meyerton, south of Johannesburg, will open its doors on January 2, 2007.

Buhle, a Grade 6 pupil at Moetapele Primary School in Soweto, said she could not believe her ears when Winfrey announced at the Volkswagen Centre in Midrand on Sunday that all the 73 children she had called on stage, had been accepted to the academy.

When Winfrey hugged her as she left the stage, the American icon told the audience: "When I asked her why she wanted to come to the academy she said: 'It's my tomorrow'."

The academy is the fulfilment of Winfrey's dream to give back to poor communities. She said the girls stood a chance of being admitted at the best universities in the world. "They will grow up to help their families and their communities."

Buhle said: "It's like I am daydreaming." She said she was nervous before the interview but was surprised to learn that it was so easy. "They wanted someone like me who is not shy - and I talk too much."

Her mother Zanele was asked by the school to bring Buhle's school reports and proof that they were earning a government grant.

"They were looking for clever children who are disadvantaged. Buhle is a different child. She reads newspapers and magazines and is curious. She is always asking questions. Sometimes I have to go to the Internet cafe for answers," said the proud mother.

Buhle lives with her grandmother and mother at her great-grandmother's two-bedroom house in Soweto. They share the house with nine other members of the family and are all dependant on her great-grandmother's grant.

Winfrey said: "I come from a disadvantaged background. I was raised by my grandmother. I have been blessed through education."

Source: Independent Online - South Africa

Imagine being given given such an opportunity. Apparently the school has its own gym, theatre and hair salon! I hope these girls will turn out to be great leaders.

 

[eternitygoddess]

Errr...I'm not too sure about this. It takes ALOT to give quality education. She better be involved 100% in this for it to be a success.

 

[misssakura]

I don't get it, with Oprah's money she could rebuild about 100 villages in africa with schools, wells and so on. Isn't that more worth it? Giving EVERYBODy an education and a decent standard of living? Pfft.

 

[Meg]

it is not Oprah's job to educate and provide a standard of living for all of Africa. Yes, she has a lot of money, but she is giving back the best way she knows how. I don't understand why someone would say 'pfft' when at least Oprah is doing something.

 

[northernsky]

it is not Oprah's job to educate and provide a standard of living for all of Africa. Yes, she has a lot of money, but she is giving back the best way she knows how. I don't understand why someone would say 'pfft' when at least Oprah is doing something.

i admit i asked myself something like "why such a fancy stand-out prestige project instead of first supporting the most basic education for a wider range of children?", too, but now i think about it, it's perhaps the best thing if she has some personal connection to her project.

 

[misssakura]

it is not Oprah's job to educate and provide a standard of living for all of Africa. Yes, she has a lot of money, but she is giving back the best way she knows how. I don't understand why someone would say 'pfft' when at least Oprah is doing something.

I don't really applaud favouritism. Of course it isn't her job, and I never said it was - i'm merely pointing out that she has the ability to make a real difference, and this to me just seems rather uninspiring considering who she is.

I can't even imagine the upset she caused to the other children who weren't picked. It breaks my heart.

All that I hope comes out of this is that this girl grows up to be an intelligent ambassador who can address real world problems - due to the break that Winfrey has given her. That would be the most satisfying outcome one could hope for (apart from her happiness, given its a granted).

Edit: I only just noticed this girl was her granddaughter. It's nice that she is doing something for her family, but why not do that in private, instead of announcing it in front of all those other children? Seems a bit arrogant.

 

[VainJane]

Everyone wants to save Africa....

I guess even charity has its fads.

 

[mundodabolsa]

Edit: I only just noticed this girl was her granddaughter. It's nice that she is doing something for her family, but why not do that in private, instead of announcing it in front of all those other children? Seems a bit arrogant.

She's not Oprah's granddaughter, she's the woman who's quoted to start off the article's granddaughter.

 

[Meg]

Well she can't pick ALL the children in africa who want to go. I know you are suggesting that but it seems flimsy. She is doing something that is close to her heart being an african-american woman who came from poverty. She is making a difference.

 

[LostInNJ]

Everyone wants to save Africa....

I guess even charity has its fads.

You say it as if it isn't a worthy cause...As far as charity being a fad, Oprah has been involved in projects like this in Africa for a long time. I can't understand how there is anything negative to say about her in a thread like this. She is doing something to give back, and people have the nerve to say something smug...

 

[misssakura]

Well she can't pick ALL the children in africa who want to go. I know you are suggesting that but it seems flimsy. She is doing something that is close to her heart being an african-american woman who came from poverty. She is making a difference.

You're right, I misread the thing about the granddaughter.

I guess my stance comes mainly from the title of this thread, not the actual article - Oprah doing her bit for Africa. The thing is - Oprah has made an awful lot of money by helping people, more money than she will ever need. All i'm saying is, she does have the ability to make a far greater impact, if she wants to send one child to her school that is great, but come on, if you had as much money as she has - without really doing all that much - wouldn't you try to make a far bigger impact? I don't think i'm unjustified in my beliefs - I would love to even have 1/100th of her money to make an impact on a community, to reach out and distribute the wealth, not to hand people a lifestyle on a plate but to give them the basics to give themselves a start and build themselves up.

It isn't her job - but she is so fond of saying that WE have the power - so why doesn't SHE have the power?

It isn't unreasonable.

 

[serena775]

Oprah has been one of the biggest donaters to so many organizations, she already given way over 100 miilion to charities in africa. I know that doesn't seem much compared to the amount she's worth but at least shes done something, at least more than we will ever do in a lifetime

 

[Meg]

She isn't sending one child to school. That is an example given in the story. She has funded the creation of the school and is supporting all 72 girls in it.

 

[fashionista-ta]

I don't really applaud favouritism. Of course it isn't her job, and I never said it was - i'm merely pointing out that she has the ability to make a real difference, and this to me just seems rather uninspiring considering who she is.

I can't even imagine the upset she caused to the other children who weren't picked. It breaks my heart.

All that I hope comes out of this is that this girl grows up to be an intelligent ambassador who can address real world problems - due to the break that Winfrey has given her. That would be the most satisfying outcome one could hope for (apart from her happiness, given its a granted).

Edit: I only just noticed this girl was her granddaughter. It's nice that she is doing something for her family, but why not do that in private, instead of announcing it in front of all those other children? Seems a bit arrogant.

Oprah doesn't have children or grandchildren ...

My favorite part of the story is the mom who treks to the Internet cafe to get answers when her daughter asks why ... now there's a good mom

Africa is disintegrating before our very eyes. Oprah is trying to create leaders for tomorrow, and she's also doing something for people like the little girl she was. Makes perfect sense to me. These girls will educate the next generation.

 

[sleepy]

all the 73 children she had called on stage, had been accepted to the academy.

So I think the article told a story of one girl, but Oprah actually chose 73.

 

[cosmogrl5]

I can't criticize her for how she chooses to contribute because at the end of the day, she does more than I have done! I think that any good acts at all are wonderful, and Oprah has said time and again how important education is to her. I really think she will stand behind this and do a stellar job. It's Oprah time!

 

[Assembler]

I think this is great of her. It's one thing to give everyone a standard education (which everyone should get) but making leaders is far more difficult, and effective.

I think this is a great place to start. I'm sure that if this suceeds Oprah will probably open more, similar schools in different areas.

 

[Trista]

I mean while it would be the typical thing to criticize her for not doing more, it's simply not possible for me, when you take into account the amount that she does-it's more than I ever will be able to do, and she constantly gives, so no criticisms from me.

 

[VainJane]

You say it as if it isn't a worthy cause...As far as charity being a fad, Oprah has been involved in projects like this in Africa for a long time. I can't understand how there is anything negative to say about her in a thread like this. She is doing something to give back, and people have the nerve to say something smug...

No, I'm not saying it is a worthy cause because everyone else in the whole thread has said it, so it's pretty much a given that everyone agrees its a worthy cause. Why waste time saying what is already assumed?

And I always say something smug in every thread. If there was a thread about Mother Theresea and Ghandi single-handedly saving 500 sick orphans, I'd say something smug

Speaking of smug, I heard on the radio that Madona is opening an orphanage in some African country. Supposedly her publicist said something like, "Instead of adopting a few kids, she's adopting a whole country."

[insert sarcastic comment here]

 

[misssakura]

all the 73 children she had called on stage, had been accepted to the academy.

So I think the article told a story of one girl, but Oprah actually chose 73.

Oh right. I did read it when I was quite tired, so it is quite likely I misunderstood it. No posting at 5am for me

But I still stand by the fact that I believe Oprah could do something more inspirational and revolutionary with her money, and i'd love to see her be really brave and try that. I'm quite tired of charities who have managers earning £100,000 a year, layers of middle management, advertising, beaurocracy etc. If one person could create a working model for change, that would be really inspiring to the rest of the world.

I hope all these girls work incredibly hard and graduate and go on to make a difference. Oh, and I hope they formulate a plan to invade north korea without the rest of the world being nuked, and also manage to kick Kim Jong-Il repeatedly in the balls for starving his people and making them resort to cannibalism. Now THAT would be leadership.