SOUTH AFRICA

Program Overview:

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This special delegation entitled, "Technology for a Young Democracy," will travel to Cape Town and Makhanda, South Africa.  Offered in collaboration with Inkululeko, a non-profit organization that helps South African students to fully realize and unlock their potential, the program will explore the use of technology in public and private spaces in what the World Bank has termed "the most unequal society on Earth."  It aims to assess how technology is being deployed to rectify historical injustices like apartheid and colonialism as well as the role it is playing in the financial sector to promote development in urban and rural South Africa.

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Beginning in Cape Town, participants will meet with activist groups who have been working to bring justice to South Africa since the times of apartheid.  They will learn about current events and the underlying causes of the economic struggles and inequality through the lens of history. This grassroots perspective will be augmented by meetings with government officials and leaders in the financial sector charged with implementing the vision of a "new South Africa."  Site visits may include:  Ernst & Young, IBM, The Learning Trust, Old Mutual Investment Group and The HCI Foundation and offer substantial opportunities for professional development while gaining an insider's perspective of the industry. 

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The delegation then proceeds to Makhanda (approximately 70,000 people) where participants will be immersed in local culture and have the opportunity to experience daily life in small town.  Participants will take Xhosa language lessons, explore a township, meet with local artists and learn about the work of Inkululeko while engaging in purposeful volunteering, tutoring and collaborating on a social enterprise project.  Previous projects include:

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1. Creating tools and systems to maintain sanitary conditions in both the social enterprise and academic space in a community where water is extremely scarce and service delivery is often lacking. 

2. Working collaboratively with local students on the development of study skills, skills around conflict resolution and creating and maintaining a positive academic atmosphere for all learners. 

3. Learning how technology can be developed to propel an organization’s mission forward; developing and implementing the Inkululeko app 

4. Using photovoice as a tool to explore the unique assets of a community and how learners can leverage those assets for their own personal/professional development. 

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Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to join a rich overseas experience and make a difference in the life of a South African youth! 

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Brief History:

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South Africa, since its first democratic election in 1994 after which Nelson Mandela became president, is a diverse society of more than 50-million people with a rich, fascinating mix of cultures ranging from Zulu and Xhosa (pronounced koh-sa), to Afrikaans and English and many, many more. There are 11 official languages.

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Between 200,000 and 100,000 years ago, modern humans began to evolve throughout Africa – including South Africa. They became the San, who later met up with south-bound Khoi pastoralists from the north and became known collectively as the KhoiSan.

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In 1652, the Dutch arrived in Cape Town and an aggressive colonial expansion followed for centuries mainly of settlers of Dutch, German and French Huguenot origin and the British. The late 1800s saw the discovery of South Africa’s immense gold and diamond wealth and prompted wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants until the end of the 20th century. Apartheid was a nearly 50-year period of institutionalized racism and the suppression of the majority of people, during which the African National Congress was banned and its leaders, including Nelson Mandela, banished to prison on Robben Island.

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The 1990s brought an end to apartheid with South Africa's transition to democracy and with Nelson Mandela's inauguration as SA's first democratically elected President 1994. 

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Program Outcomes:

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By the end of the program, participants will be able to:

 

1. Speak about the role that decades of apartheid played in creating what the World Bank has called "the most unequal society" on Earth today.

2. Identify and define the asset based approach to development and be able to explain how it can be used in any community including one's own.

3. Articulate the roles that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as small and large businesses are playing in development and the 'new South Africa.'

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Partner Organization:

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Inkululeko is a nonprofit organization that works with motivated, potential-laden young people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds in Makhanda, South Africa. The organization has these goals:  

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1. To help students finish high school and move onto university, or

2. To finish high school and obtain a skill set so they can be gainfully employed upon graduation.

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