The incredible summer that ended all too soon could not have been possible without the hard work of some truly amazing people, so again, I want to say thank you on behalf of the SAWIP class of 2009. SAWIP would not be the organization and indeed the family that it is today without the hard work and passion of the board of directors, both in South Africa and in Washington. I would like to say a special word of thanks to Misha Charles, Bryan Sims, Holly Hassett, Frank Cantrell, Kevin Sullivan and Carol Wheeler. Because of your vision, passion and ever constant efforts, SAWIP has grown has from 1 intern to 12 interns in just a few short years.

On behalf of the SAWIP team of 2009, I would also like to thank Congressman Donald Payne for his invaluable contribution to our organization over the past 3 years. Without him and the hard work of his staffers, our annual Congressional Forums would never take place. A special thanks must go Congressman Payne’s Chief of Staff, Kerry McKinney. I would also like to extend a word of thanks to everyone at the South African Embassy here in DC and in the office of the South African Consulate in New York. Our team was privileged enough to have been given the chance to sit down with Ambassador Welile Nhlapo and learn from him and his wealth of experience in the foreign service whilst also gaining some insights on DC from someone who has seen it all. I would also like to thank Cecile Heppes and Hennie du Toit for working to make that happen.

When I am older, wiser and hopefully a little taller, I will remember this moment in time along with very many others that spring to mind. One of those will be the first time I met Megan Farrell. With little Riley on her hip, Megan walked over to Samantha Ball and I and welcomed us to DC with a warm smile and sincere hug. That’s how I am always going to remember Megan: with Riley on her hip. Without Megan’s support and encouragement, and the occasional “serious talk”, our summer would not have been the same. I would also like to say thank you to Mike McGonagle and Melissa for all of his hard work and her ever cheerful spirit.

Another memory of mine, and I am sure this goes for everyone else, will be the time I spent at “the office”. I was fortunate enough to have been given my first choice of work placement and I recognize now how much time and energy went into making that happen. Every year WIP and SAWIP students are given work placements in some of the most sought-after and prestigious internship positions in DC: some of us work for longer hours than others, some of us have longer commutes than others, but all of us are equally as grateful for being given the chance to push ourselves to the limit and exceed even our own expectations. For this I would like to say thank you and thank you again to Declan Heery and Cathy Wolf.

I couldn’t possibly deliver a thank you speech without saying thank you to our Irish brothers and sisters. You have all taught us so much about ourselves, the world and the island of Ireland. I wish for all of you love, happiness, success, joy and better luck next year for your national rugby team.

There are 2 very special individuals who also deserve a mention. The dynamic duo that is Jean Scrimgeour and Thamsanqha Ledwaba have been nothing short of phenomenal this summer. Both Jean and Thami have been there with us, every step of the way with a shoulder to lean on and our stipend envelopes. Thank you so much for making this experience what it was and sacrificing your sleep and sanity for us. I don’t think either of you will ever fully know just how much of an impact you have had on each of us.

And now, I would like to take the time to thank a special group of people known as the “Friends of SAWIP”. This includes Emira Woods from the Institute of Policy Studies, Lenneal Henderson, Barbara Haig from the National Endowment for Democracy, Gerald LeMelle from Africa Action, Tom Woods from the Heritage Foundation, and Alicia Kellman and Art Kaufman from IDASA.

Arguably, SAWIP’s best friends are its host families. A thousand thank yous must go to Terry Eason for all of the time, energy and effort that she put into finding us all homes. On behalf of the SAWIP class of 2009, I want to sincerely and warmly thank every single host mother, father, brother and sister for letting us be part of your lives for the past 6 weeks. I hope you all enjoyed having us in your homes as much as we appreciated having a home away from home and people who cared about our wellbeing. None of us would be here in DC if it wasn’t for your kindness, generosity and in some cases, sense of adventure. I hope that we have all given you a sense of our country’s past, present and future, and offered to host you in our own homes at least once. In essence, I would like to say thank you to this year’s host families for opening your hearts and your homes to South Africa and her seeds.

Finally, I would like to leave everyone with a little food for thought and something that to me, summarises the contributions made by everyone to our SAWIP 2009 experience, “ndigumntu ngabuntu”: simply put “I am because you are”.

“Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today… I wanna wake up in a city, that doesnt sleep And find I’m king of the hill - top of the heap” -Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’

The energy that was in the air on the morning of Thursday, the 9th of July was nothing short of electric. WIP and SAWIP gathered at the Bethesda bus stop to begin our journey to arguably the greatest city in the world, New York! The bus ride was long, the anxiety/excitement palpable and the air-conditioning too cold but at last, we arrived. We stayed in a brand new block of New York University dormitories somewhere near Greenwich Village with a randomly selected group of roommates. Myself and Fazlin had the pleasure of sharing with Anne Parsons and Una Matthews from the Irish team. Even though we were hardly ever in our rooms, the 4 of us bonded quite well especially when we realised that we would had to share just one mirror in the communal bathroom. It was really great for me to have the opportunity to spend more time with Fazlin but also to connect that much more with Anne and Una.

Just like one would expect, every second of our time became a New York minute. We had just two and a half hours to get ready to meet with Ms. Kathleen Behrens, who is the Executive Director of NBA Cares, the National Basketball Assosciation’s social responsibility unit. We engaged with Ms. Behrens on the issue of civic involvement on all levels, from grassroots to international charity networks and beyond. I felt that Ms. Behrens gave us all the chance to appreciate that we can make a difference within our home communities and that we don’t have to be basketball superstars to indeed go out there and make a valuable contribution to the world.

Later that afternoon, the SAWIP team had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Anne Landsman, a South African making her mark on the literary scene both at home and in America. Ms. Landsman shared with us her journey from being a young South African in New York not so long ago to her more mature “self” who is now wiser and better. Ms. Landsman’s story-telling ability shone through as she explained to us how she experiences the writing process, the challenges that are innate to that process and her understanding of the new South Africa. I could feel her passion and love for our shared country and understood how she weaves that passion into every word of her books. I appreciated being in the presence of and relating to someone who, like me, holds South Africa in her heart.

Thursday night ended early, and with good reason: we were awake at 6am on Friday morning and by 9am we were at the offices of the South African Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the South African Consulate. We had the honour of engaging with the talented individuals who represent our country in the General Assembly of the world’s most important and influential multi-lateral organisation. We also had the chance to engage with some of the Mission’s staff who served as South Africa’s representatives on the Security Council from 2006 to 2008. I think I speak for everyone when I say that this was an invaluable experience that taught us all so much about the inner workings of the United Nations and also, the tough decisions that have to be made every day on the basis of South Africa’s national interests. I also enjoyed being on South African “soil” again, if only for a few hours.

Our Friday afternoon ended on a high note with our visit to the offices of Standard Bank SA’s operations in New York. It is worth mentioning that just across the street from our meeting venue, the South African flag was flying high outside the front entrance of the famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel. All this because they heard that the SAWIP team was going to be in the neighbourhood! Mr. Albert Maartens and his amazing contingent of staff, from South Africa and everywhere else in the world you could possibly imagine, made us feel at home and gave us so many insights into the concrete jungle that is New York. It was so amazing to see young South Africans making a name for themselves and representing our country so well. I walked out of that meeting with so much optimism and hope for the impact that South Africa is making on the international economic scene.

On Saturday morning, we were given the whole day to go sight-seeing and that’s exactly what I did. Driving and walking around New York city, I saw some of Chinatown; the Rockefeller Centre; Fifth Avenue; Times Square; the construction site around Ground Zero; the Statue of Liberty and had ice-cream in Central Park. It is almost impossible for me to describe just how much this opportunity meant for me simply because I have never even known anyone who has been to New York before. Now, I can go home and describe seeing those sights, walking those streets and feeling that buzz that one can only get from being in New York City. I feel privileged and honoured to have had the chance to visit this amazing place and I hope to help others, just like me, share in that very same feeling in the near future.

Exhausation set in on the bus ride home but I think the silence of the journey was more than just everyone being too tired to even speak, it was everyone savouring the moment and committing it to memory.

“And if I can make it there, I’m gonna make it anywhere
Its up to you - New York, New York”

So another week went flying by and more goosebump moments were felt…

The WIP and SAWIP teams had the honour of hosting 3 very well known and widely respected members of the American (and international) media fraternity at the offices of Hogan and Hartson in central Washington, DC. Mr. Craig Gordon, Ms. Nell Henderson and Mr. Kevin Connolly were joined by SAWIP’s very own Vivek Ramsaroop in a question-and-answer style discussion on very pertinent issues facing the global media today. Emma Cassidy, a WIPer, chaired the event and did a fantastic job in her chairing/time-keeping responsibilities. To say that the event was lively would be quite an understatement: panelists and audience members alike raised burning questions on the state of the media today and where it is going. I felt that this event helped to blow away any pre-conceptions that I had on how the media “business” works and also helped to mould my opinion on the impact that the media has always had on me. I definitely took a lot away from this event and the shared knowledge, experience and expertise of the panelists. I have now resolved not only to broaden my “net” in terms of where I look for the news but also to be critical of those offering an opinion in those sources.

A definite highlight for not just myself but the entire team I am sure (even Thami and Jean couldn’t help but relish the moment) was our roundtable discussion with a panel of experts from the world of USA-Africa relations. Ms. Emira Woods, Mr. Gerald LeMelle, Mr. Tom Woods and Mr. Ramon Daubon (as Chair of the event) engaged us in a lively and fascinating discussion on any and all things African. Their vast and seemingly limitless knowledge of African politics, past and present, was both refreshing and challenging to the way that I had always thought others viewed the people of the African continent. I was blown away by the thought-provoking questions my fellow SAWIPers lay on the table and the insightful answers and comments that followed. I could have easily spent another full day in the presence of the amazing group of people there and soaked in all that they had to share with us. I find it almost impossible to describe just how much that particular event and that opportunity to engage with the panelists meant to me. At this point, I would like to thank our SAWIP management, Misha Charles from the Phelps Stokes Fund, the IDASA board representatives in Washington DC and everyone else who was there for fulfilling a dream I never even knew I had.

Thursday quickly turned into Friday and Saturday and more importantly, the 4th of July long weekend celebrations! WIP and SAWIP team members went out to the park at the grounds of the Jefferson Memorial to join together and share their thoughts and feelings on the journey so far. All 43 of us were able to relay our individual stories and what this truly meant to us, being here. I greatly appreciated the fact that we took time together as one unit to share these thoughts and emotions and learn just a little bit more about each individual. This was followed by some outdoor activities in the park and on the waters of the Tidal Basin, the perfect way to relax on a public holiday. Saturday afternoon was the day of the famed Lynch family 4th of July barbeque at their home in Chevy Chase, MD. The house, and everyone in it, was awash with the colours of the American flag and a feeling of celebration filled the air. After a fantastic meal, being surrounded by great company and amazing weather, our grouped “trekked” out to the Lincoln Memorial to watch the annual fireworks display. Now I have heard very many things about this display but not a single superlative in the English dictionary would have done it justice. Except for “jaw-droppingly amazing”, I can’t even begin to describe them. Being in the United States of America for the 4th of July and being amongst a fiercely patriotic people, I could not help but want to feel the same about my country. South Africa might not have fireworks displays on Heritage Day that rival those of the American Independence Day but we too as the South African people have much to be inspired by and proud of.

Our weekend ended and Monday around rolled again with a new leadership workshop session. In the morning, a discussion on what it means to be a “global citizen” took place and very interesting results were revealed. Later that afternoon both teams went out to West Hyattsville to help in an environmental initiative to create a walkway for visitors at a butterfly sanctuary. I admit that this is something way out of my comfort zone but I revelled in the occassion, mosquito bites and all.. Our day ended on a really high note when we went back to our classroom at the George Washington University to listen to a presentation by Mr. Lenneal Henderson on the American federal system of government. Mr. Henderson was engaging, humourous and a phenomenal source of information. He answered every single question I have ever had on this particular topic and he did so with a razor sharp sense of humour and lightning-quick wit. Having done an entire 3 month Political Science module on the American style of government, and particularly its foreign policy sector, I took away so much more than initially thought I would.

This week has been thrilling in every sense of the word and rewarding beyond measure. I don’t think I could ever possibly forget the amazing things I have learned, the new people I have met and the experiences that have so greatly impacted on my growth as a person on this journey with my SAWIP family.

So yet another exhilirating week in the world’s political capital has flown by. This past week has brought nothing but excitement, events and exhausation.

Last Tuesday evening (June 25th), we were invited to watch a debate between our Irish brothers and sisters and their opponents from the Georgetown debate. The event was a lively and informative one and I think both sides learned a lot from each other.
Over and above all of the events and functions we attended last week, we still had “jobs” to do. I have to admit that waking up at the crack of dawn every morning, finding the right outfit to wear and battling my way through the Metro (my stop is on the Red Line) has proven to be more of a challenge than I would have ever imagined. But even I have to admit that the hours of sleep I might be losing are more than made up for during my working day. My internship experience so for has been nothing but amazing and infinitely valuable. I truly don’t think that I would be exposed to the people I am working with if I was in any other environment.

When the working week did come to an end though, it was nice to take part in something different than what we had been experiencing so far. On Saturday morning, myself, Musa, Nadine and Rachel Bergin participated in our first of 4 community service sessions in DC. We went to the Arlington Food Assistance Centre (AFAC) in Arlington, Virginia. None of us knew what to expect but we were greeted with smiles and open, welcoming arms. Essentially, the team at AFAC collect surplus food supply from supermarkets in the area, donations from private individuals and funding from corporations to be able to distribute food parcels to the area’s lower-income families. Every Saturday morning, these food parcels and assorted items are made available to people in the community who otherwise would not have been able to afford such items. It was amazing to find out that since the economic recession hit the USA, AFAC has been receiving more than they ever have in the past because companies and individuals realise that this is when their fellow man needs their help the most. The people at AFAC do such incredible work and I feel honoured to have been given a chance to help out in any small way.

Later that afternoon, myself and my fellow SAWIPers were invited by Ms. Penny Mitchells home for a lazy, quiet braai/barbeque at her home in Bethesda. Penny prepared an amazing feast for us which included burgers, nachos and guacomole and some ice-cold mint lemonade (a new favourite of mine!). Afterwards, I had the chance to engage in a short and informal political discussion with Penny and some of my other team mates on the currrent situation in South Africa. What amazed about that discussion was the sense of familiarity and the level of comfort our team now has with each other. This sense of freedom to air one’s views and actually be listened to is definitely one of the very many by-products of this incredible programme.

On Monday (June 29th), we had another leadership day together with the WIP team. The speakers for the day were Sean Tuohey (who founded the peace and reconciliation initiative Peace Players) and Mr. Mark Shields (a prominent political commentator in Washington DC). I enjoyed the time we had with Sean Tuohey as he taught very many invaluable lessons on networking and how to develop one’s networking skills. He also did an amazing job at imparting his knowledge on how to network (and essentially ask for financial aid) in the current economic climate. I thoroughly enjoyed Mark Shields’ presentation on the history of American politics and his own role within that history. It is no wonder, Mr. Shields’ opinions and knowledge are so widely sought after, he knows everything! Mr. Shields was engaging, humourous and simply fascinating.

Later that afternoon, we were also fortunate enough to go on a tour of the Newseum in central Washington. It is a truly awe-inspiring place that traces the history of the media in history and reminds one of the importance of the press. Lastly, the SAWIP team had the opportunity to learn about the history of Ireland and where it is going and the same with the WIP team. Although, I still don’t fully understand the situation in Ireland, I have learned much more than I ever would have from any book. Furthermore, this discussion opened the channels of communication even wider and I took the opportunity to ask our Irish counterparts questions I might never have thought of.
All in all, another informative, life-changing and adrenaline-packed week was lived out in Washington, DC!

Leaving Cape Town with trepidation, anxiousness and excitement, I couldn’t help but wonder if America was the land I had always seen on TV. Flying over what I assumed was Virginia, my question was answered: the very first building I laid eyes on was a massive Costco store! At that point, I became very excited to see what else I would encounter that would fit the image of my imagination (and numerous TV-watching hours). Well, I rode the subway, I went to Starbucks and visited a typical American university campus in Maryland. Of course, I thought I had seen all there was to see when I went to Pentagon City and shopped until my heels ached but then something I could never have dreamed of happened… I went to visit the Pentagon Memorial.

As if by pure coincidence and fluke, Samantha Ball and I decided to extend our Metro ride home and visit the Pentagon building. I don’t think that either of us was prepared for the emotions that came with that decision. Coming up along the side of the Pentagon Memorial, I starts to think back to the newspaper and television images of September 11th, 2001: burning buildings, the New York city skyline, the airline carrier that crashed into an empty field and the magnitude of another airline carrier’s crash into the side of the Pentagon. Even though, I was only 12 years old at the time of the events, I remember them with sheer clarity.

I can hardly find the words to describe how seeing the names of all of those who had lost their lives on that fateful day made me feel. Standing in front of that solemn American flag, the small granite rock engraved with the names of those who had passed and gazing over the actual memorial itself, I was speechless. Not even realising it until we had walked away, I remembered that it was Father’s Day that day. I can’t even begin to describe what I felt when I saw freshly laid flowers next to the name of one of those fathers who had lost their lives on that fateful September morning.

As much as I think I might know everything and think that there is a rational explanation for almost every moment in one’s life, the 30 minutes that I spent at that memorial will forever remind me that we are all human. Grief for your fellow man, whether you know them or not, is something that we are all bound to do. Compassion for those who have been left behind, whether they are your neighbour, friend or a complete stranger halfway across the world, is something that we are all inclined to feel. And the sanctity of human life is something we must all uphold, treasure and hold dear.

Its been a while since my last blog on community service, and what an incredible ride I have been on since then. I have waded the intimidating jungle that is the visa application process, I have spent days packing and preparing for this journey, I flew for more hours than I care to count but I arrived safely with and met my amazing host family (our group had to make it through Customs first, but that is a whole other story for a completely different blog)…

The ride home with Samantha Ball, Mary Anne Sullivan and Larry Petro (my host family) with quite exciting. I actually had sunburnt lips the next day because I was staring out of the window the entire time! Mary Anne and Larry gave a very brief but really informative tour of DC on the way home and explained to us some of the intracies of the political situation in the USA at the moment (Sonya Sotomayer and all). Samantha and I also had a chance to get to know Mary Anne alot better over the dinner table that evening. I must admit that waking up at 7am the next morning was something of a small miracle for me (I was jetlagged beyond repair) and yet, I had no idea this would be the routine for every morning still to come.

The stand out highlights of this past week have most certainly been: meeting the Irish contingent on Monday (June 15th) and going on a gruelling ropes/obstacle course with them; meeting Misha Charles and the rest of the amazing staff at the Phelps Stokes Foundation offices; having lunch with the South African ambassador to the United States, Mr. Welile Nhlapo, on Youth Day (June 16th); taking a tour of DC with Paul Costello, and gaining an absolute wealth of knowledge from him; meeting with the SAWIP board in DC; listening to and learning from some of the most incredible speakers you could possibly imagine from all walks of life and every proffession in the book; and finally a fun-filled weekend with all of our host families at the O’Hara’s lovely home in Virginia.

I can’t even begin to describe just how much of an impact this past week has had on me already, in every single sense of the word. I now understand just how much of a privilege I have been given in being allowed to be part of this team and share this journey with my fellow WIP and SAWIPers. The immense amount of time, passion and energy that goes into this schedule almost boggles my mind and I am proud to know that I might not be the whole but part of the bigger and greater unit of future leaders.

I sincerely look forward to meeting more people, learning more about myself, growing in mind, spirit and strength and growing our team to its full potential. Plus, I hope to cram in some more Starbucks caramel frappucinos before I leave!

I spent one of the last days of the South African summer with a really diverse and awesome group of people building a house in Mfuleni township. Mfuleni is about 25 minutes outside of Stellenbosch and every year, the fantastic people at Habitat for Humanity send volunteers to build homes for families in need. The volunteer group I was with were all students from the university and included an English Masters student and a 1st year B.Drama student! As usual, the Political Science kids could be spotted a mile away: we spent our entire lunch break debating politics, the future and what colour the paint should eventually be!

The lady who we were building a house for had moved from the Eastern Cape 7 years ago and come to the Western Cape in search of a job in one of the provinces many wine farms. Although she had been working for most of those 7 years, she could not afford to buy or build her own home. This is where Habitat came in. In conjunction with the provincial housing authority, Habitat sponsored the costs of the house and promised volunteers to help with the labour. What I found really amazing about this initiative is that the homeowner commits a small monetary contribution to the house but also commits to spending at least one hour a day assisting with the building in some way or another.

It was such an enriching experience to know that where a shack once stood, a house that someone will be proud to call home will be in its place. It was also really amazing to work with such a diverse group of people on this kind of project because it proved once again that there truly are more things in this world that bring us together than there are those that tear us apart. Habitat for Humanity is an amazing organisation and I was honoured to have had the opportunity to work with them on this.