Dream girls' prayers answered

Oprah Winfrey launches leadership academy for
decision makers of tomorrow

LEARNING POST

In 2002, awe-struck by being in the presence of such a great man, Oprah humbly asked then-President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, "What can I do for you?" He paused, as if thinking of the thousands of children who were among South Africa's have-nots, and softly replied: "Build me a school," according to CNN correspondent Jeff Koinange. That was then.

Unprecedented costs

This is now. Oprah, having kept her solemn promise, has nearly completed the multi-million dollar academy that was funded by her charity. Figures vary widely from source to source on the cost of the facility, probably because some sources include the land value, while others only include the design and construction costs. The Oprah Winfrey Foundation initially contributed several million dollars to build and maintain the academy with additional funding from the Guateng (province) Department of Education in South Africa, according to www.oprah.com.

Oprah claims she's spent "$40 million (1.5 billion baht) and counting" and that she thinks she will try to limit the spending to "$50 million dollars," according to Koinange. "The money means nothing to me," Oprah continued. "When I look at these girls, I see me. That's why I want to give them everything I didn't have growing up. These are the leaders of tomorrow's Africa," wrote Koinange, quoting Oprah.

Mission and admission

One of the school's missions is to prepare the mostly underprivileged students, for admission to the world's best universities. The prep school will teach girls to be the best human beings they can be, training them to become decision makers and leaders of tomorrow, allowing them to explore the changing world through advanced education techniques and advanced technology, according to an article by Kyra Kirkwood.

To achieve that mission, the selection process had to be rigorous. Consequently, admission is reserved for those who are the most academically inclined, have demonstrated the potential for leadership in their respective communities, and whose families cannot financially support their educations. Oprah and her team travelled throughout South Africa reviewing applications of more than 3,000 girls who were applying for the 450 available seats at the school.

In addition to the application and stringent interviews, the girls had to write an essay about what they want to be when they grow up, according to Lihle Mtshali and Lebohang Nthongoa, reporting for the Sowetan news service. Oprah personally conducted a one-to-one interview with each of the final interviewees.

The academy will officially open January 2, 2007, but Oprah was in Soweto (South West Township) to surprise the first group of 450 girls selected for the all-expenses-paid scholarships to the prep school and to inform them that they had already been chosen for the 2007 class. The academy will consist of grades seven through 12. Each level will have an initial maximum of 75 students, with additional students phased in over the next several months. South African teachers and administrators will be selected from the best and the brightest of South Africa's educators, according to www.oprah.com .

Unparalleled facilities

The leadership academy is located on 22 acres (55.64 rai). The buildings and landscape will offer a safe and nurturing educational and residential environment for girls. It is designed as a campus but maintains the architectural integrity of the surrounding community.

It will include state-of-the-art classrooms, computer and science labs, a 600-seat auditorium/gymnasium, an amphitheatre, sports fields, modern dorm facilities, a dining hall, and state of the art security systems. Oprah's personal touch includes a huge fireplace in the library, according to Koinange, so the girls can snuggle up beside it and read books in the winter, and an Olympic size swimming pool to beat the heat in the summer.

Such facilities are unparalleled in South Africa, especially coming from a single donor.

In locating, designing and building the academy, Oprah worked closely with South Africa's Ministry of Education Prof Kader Asmal and Guateng province Member of Executive Council (MEC) of Education Ignatius Jacobs. The prep school will include state-of-the-art classrooms, computer and science labs, and auditorium/gymnasium, amphitheatre, and a sports field, according to Winfrey's website, Oprah.com. It even has an advanced telecommunications system, which will allow Oprah to teach and check up on the girls from her offices in Chicago.

"When I came to Africa on this trip," said Oprah, "I started dreaming about the girls … but I didn't know their names. Then I came here and started interviewing these girls, Palesa and Sade and Lesego … and I realised that these were the girls of my dreams. These are my dream girls," said Winfrey, wrote Lihle Mtshali and Lebohang Nthongoa of the Sowetan news service.