We leave Bob's Bunk House in about 20 minutes, headed to Capetown and our adventures there.
Yesterday was another charmed day for the most part. We met with students at the African Leadership Academy and had an amazing visit. The students were bright, positive, articulate. The school is a boarding school for youth all over Africa. I must admit to my damn ignorance about geography in general and have to keep correcting myself about the fact that Africa is a continent and not a country. I know, I know...and yes I am embarrassed.
We asked the youth about the application process and learned that each year 3,000 youth apply and only 100 get in. Most of the students are on some form of financial aid and the campus is like an Ivy League campus. I had some amazing pictures of signs and posters and cool stuff all over campus but they are lost now because of the whole pick pocket experience. My phone was lifted off me at a stupid mall of all places... I knew it was gone within 5 minutes but it was just gone.... so I am trying to remember all about the ALA and not mourn those pictures too much.
One of the questions on the application for the youth is "what have you done to impact your community?" Another, "What is your vision for Africa?" I have to admit, that gave me great pause.
We have jokingly coined the phrase for our group, "Making America smarter 9 people at a time." We are aware of the arrogance of the U.S. We want to own our privilege and not pretend about it. We want to not be colonizers here. We want to engage from a place of honesty, open curiosity, exchange. The students were so forthcoming. Each of them works in an entrepreneurial leadership program in which they are creating opportunities for income and making a difference in the community. They told us about their work teaching in townships, running little stores on campus (nearly everything sold on campus to students is sold by students)... They even run their own beauty parlors. Amazing.
They take youth run to a whole new level. And their leadership is not only cultivated, but expected from the very beginning of their interaction with the school. We met youth from Tunisia, Mali, Ghana, Tanzania, etc.
The youth were inspiring, intellectually challenging and engaging.
We are lucky Americans. We will pass it on!
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