Good evening ladies and gentleman

As most of you might know or might have seen; The South Africa Washington Internship Program is bound by a three tier prospect…

1) Leadership Development

2) Community Service

3) The Internship

It gives me great pleasure to divulge the sensational nature of our 2011 community service project.

FIRED UP and READY TO GO… this is how we felt after all that we had learnt and absorbed in DC. We came back with a genuine hunger and thirst to impact the people of our nation, because we knew that we simply could. Through taxing preparations came the rise of our Lead Young – High Impact Youth leadership program. The vision behind our project was focused on harnessing and gleaning young potential leaders of a diverse socio-economy towards understanding their roles as young leaders in South Africa.

Out team hosted twenty-four optimistic young leaders from Kayamdi High school, Desmond Tutu High School and Blouberg High School. The programe took place over two days in which each of us facilitated a session, held group discussions and feedback sessions. Day one drew attention to (re) defining leadership were the learners were exposed to different styles and types of leadership, we played the infamous rope game which is set to instill an understanding of team dynamics. The day ended off with a fruitful session on community service, were the students identified problems arising in their schools and possible solutions.

Day two kicked off with an emotional narrative session facilitated by three of our team mates telling stories about their lives. The session was primed at illustrating the value of storytelling.Through this session the intensity and reality of the day- day South African challenges were unraveled, however it was evident that through sharing these stories a sense of comfortably and understanding was built as the students were moved and inspired by some of the stories shared. An enlightening session on vision and goal setting followed,we had a session on grasping the notion of social entrepreneurship and lastly leadership in South Africa

In between each session we had energy boosters and music just to get the blood pumping the students were highly entertained and showed full participation. I must congratulate Matthew and Erik on their “so you think you can dance” success, you guys were awesome! In essence the weekend was fun; focused and fulfilling we certainly built treasured relationships with the learners and surpassed our expectations for this entire weekend.

Over the weekend hunger and lack of respect were identified as one of the core problems within the school communities’. Ladies and gentleman we currently have a feeding scheme and a parent’s committee being initialized by the learners this goes to show that the weekend was truly stimulating.

At the end of the program while reminiscing on our success our project manager Kim Williams said some think that gave me goose bumps… She humbly said “guys, you have just planted twenty-four seeds” lead me to a quote uttered by mother Teresa saying that “if you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one”

SAWIP 2011, My leaders... we were privileged to have our hunger and thirst filled by this amazing program, we have fed twenty-four learners with something that I call “the colossal cake of hope” in it we have a handful of dreams, a bucket of opportunities, a myriad of ideas, a sprinkle of the realization that your voice can speak volumes and a pinch of support” we made this cake and we fed 24 learner who will go on to feed even more people. One bite of our cake got these learners FIRED UP AND READY TO GO!!!

Thank you!!!

In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther Jr. delivered the opening address to the Berlin Jazz Festival.

"Jazz speaks for life," King said. "The blues tell the story of life's difficulties — and, if you think for a moment, you realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph. This is triumphant music."

Music is a deep and enduring part of human culture. From the days of being an infant mothers sing songs to calm their babies down, when a life is lost people sing hymns to show respect and express emotion… Music has power. It contributes to the opening of hearts and minds; it reaches out to victims, survivors, perpetrators, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, pimps, grandparents, pretty much everyone in this gigantic earth we live in. I listen to music everyday because it soothes certain emotions and it adds to how I feel and it brings life to quietness.

Music functions as bridge between past and reconciliation. It allows for the understanding of a society in terms of its own interpretations of reality. This is due to the fact that the effect and meaning of music is derived from social, historical, spiritual and cultural context. During week four the theme Civil/Political Rights and Socio-economic Rights highlighted the significance of music in South Africa and in the United States during the struggle. During these time artists made use of textuals as well as the musical levels to make politically subversive statements and often hidden meanings were concealed in seemingly inoffensive songs. They found freedom in expressing their emotions in song, poetry, dance and art. They would be able to connect with how people in their relative communities felt. Music enhanced the political atmosphere in the various countries, and songs of protest openly confronted the politicians in power and mirrored the common concern of the population.

Berthold Brecht made an idiom about arts that I thought of as a perfect fit to our group discussion about the arts.

“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it”

Our group had a chat on music and art and how they influence us individually and the society. Each of us shared something arty that influence us and explained its significance. We had songs, poems, dance, art pieces etc. all held in a bottle waiting to burst and become what I call the most wonderful exchange of words I have ever had. We took the above quote and slowly hammered our way in bringing forth the truths about our identity and how society has shaped it in the past, and how we live with it today. The title of this conversation was “race face” and one can only imagine what emotions came forth from such a topic, yet in light each emotion was a learning curve of a very fruitful nature. Each opinion, comment, tear drop and smile expressed in the room was felt and absorbed to a large degree.

The political use of music in South Africa changed from being a ‘mirror’ in the 1940s and 50s to becoming a ‘hammer’ with which to shape reality by the 1980s. In South Africa, music went from reflecting common experiences and concerns in the early years of apartheid, to eventually function as a force to confront the state and as a means to actively construct an alternative political and social reality. Our group reached the confrontation level, through the innocence of sharing our influential art pieces.

“The curious beauty of African music is that it uplifts as it tells a sad tale. […] African music is often about the aspirations of African people, and it can ignite the political resolve of those who might otherwise be indifferent to politics. […] Politics can strengthen music but music has a potency that defies politics (Nelson Mandela, in The Hidden Years, 3^rd Ear Music).”

Music is for peace; if it can bring people of diversity together in a club or any gathering to dance and laugh ,then it is a remedy for conflict. Its existence is far richer than the beats and movement it produces. Music…

Sounds the call for us to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom,
In South Africa our land. (Last verse of the South African National Anthem)

 

If South Africa’s economy is to continue to see healthy growth, we need more people actively involved as employers, and not just employees. Creating employment is one, of THE most important challenges for South Africa, and if we are going to tackle it effectively, a change in perspective is required on several fronts.

Having had read the above statement from The Times Newspaper. I came to the realization that job creation is vital for a growing economy like ours. The topic for week three was Social entrepreneurship and development gave us a broad overview of the business world. It was fascinating to come across the term social entrepreneur as it is not very common. The ladies and gentlemen we meet during the week were all actively involved in social entrepreneurship and it was all exceptionally motivating. On our orientation camp we were encouraged to “catch people doing it right” these folks were a clear example they were all selfless in their innovations and what makes them happy, is making others happy… now that makes me happy because I want to be like them…

I wanted to know what the difference between entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship was, and why one and not the other? Through research I discovered that the core difference between the two lies in the purpose of the venture. A social entrepreneur aims to create social change through direct impact ,without the aim of generating profit. The business entrepreneur focuses on generating profit, they may create change in the society but that is not the primary purpose.

Further during week three, through discussions a question was asked on whether social entrepreneurship is the answer to alleviating unemployment in our Country. The obvious fighting factors were mentioned lack of education amongst poor communities, poverty, lack of resources, poor health conditions etc. these were mentioned as the reasons for lack of employment in our country. It drew major attention to me and the rest of the group that if we (the youth) encourage social entrepreneurship amongst ourselves and our peers we can alleviate some of those fighting factors. If we somehow had a literature class, or a skills development program we could strengthen people in underprivileged communities to develop, and in their development they can assist in developing others.

We need people to be aware of this venture and its purpose… and so I drew my conclusion. There is nothing wrong with entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurship is just the more suitable option for us as leaders, because it is for the people and as leaders we are made to serve the people. Social entrepreneurship is not the answer to solving unemployment issues in South Africa but it is a step to achieving a greater economical state and getting people more involved in social transformation.

THE ROAD OF OPTIMISM

Good evening Members of the United States Congress, diplomats,  Members of the Washington Ireland Program, New Story Leadership Program, South Africa Washington Internship Program ,host families and distinguished guests. Thank you for the honor of addressing you this evening.

I decided to be different and not start by telling you my name but rather where I come from… I was born and raised in Pretoria ,in a township called Mamelodi which means mother of melodies in one of our eleven native languages Sesotho. The name Mamelodi was derived from the nickname given to  President of the Transvaal Paul Kruger by black people because of his strange ability to whistle and imitate birds. I moved from Pretoria to the mother city; Cape Town to pursue my studies. The university that I am currently in was the stepping stone to me standing up here this evening and for that my love, gratitude and passion for it is exceedingly abundant. I am a second year Environmental and Water Science student at the elite University of the Western Cape an apartheid creation which has overcome its profound past  and is presently an “an oasis of learning” encouraging a multicultural paradigm. Ladies and gentleman I invite you to put on your seat belts and ear seat belts as I take you on “the road of optimism” and having  said all that I now present to you my name… Phellecitus Nokuthula Montana. Montana like the state Montana and like the famous Hannah Montana…

I would like to tell you about a young lady I met in April who is a friend and an inspiration to me. Her South African story had me so moved that I felt the need to share it with you. Mmatseleng Precious Lefoka was born on the 15th of September 1991. Erase the image of a mother holding a baby in a hospital bed or whatever birth scene you might have; my friend was born differently. As her mother stepped out of a minibus , she strolled to her husband’s workplace for a casual visit. An unexpected yet anticipated event occurred, her water broke...  Screams of pain and concern attracted a crowd and soon she was attended to by women in the community. On the rich graveled road side in the Limpopo province is where she gave birth to her dear child…from this incident her name Mmatseleng came about tesla is road or path in Sotho “mme” is mother in Sotho and in direct English translation Mmatseleng means mother of the road…

This story captivates me because aside from its beauty, the analogy of a  road  plays a significant role in explaining its  deeper meaning . Mmatseleng is a walking symbol of the road that is life.

 

An unknown source once said...“The road of life can only reveal itself as it is traveled; each turn in the road is a surprise. Mans future is hidden”

During the past four weeks and two days of our DC expedition, SAWIP provided us with a curriculum based on certain themes. In order from week one to five the themes set were…

Defining service leadership,

Democracy,

Economic Growth and entrepreneurship

Civil, political, and Socio- economic rights

And for week five conflict and reconciliation.

I envisioned each week like a road ,we the SAWIP team of 2011 as the cars traveling on this exhilarating road; grounded by gravity and a powerful management team. Taken care of and getting our regular car washes from our host and loved by many  because of the sounds our engines make and  and our rainbow nation aura.

During our road trips in the week we have had miniature bumps and the only time we encountered  a traffic circle was in  our ‘car discussion” that could go round and round and round with valid, non-ending strong points. The gas we receive is comprised of board members, a management team, our host families , the weekly speakers that filled us with ample knowledge on the above themes and most importantly each other. We filled each other up… each car operating on a full tank.

I can truly say that my car model has transformed.  I have gone from a Prius to a Toyota highlander hybrid  and in South African car language I would say that I have transformed from a Volkswagen beetle to a  Toyota Hilux bakkie. Just to add these are all environmentally friendly cars

On a more personal note I would like to share with you a gas filling that I had on the 4th of July.  After the last BBQ marathon encounter SAWIP, WIP and the NSL team all set of to watch the fireworks. A small group of SAWIP students myself included were lead by my host dad. He kindly found us the best spot, he made sure that we were safe and that we didn’t get lost on the road to and from the National mall.  On our way back home on the metro, I found myself is a self-absorbed constant smile as I got caught in the zone of really appreciating my host dads presence because of the common occurrence in our nation of the absent father or father figure.

My mother and grandmother were my parents and I salute them for providing me with the cherished norms and values to live out life, every heartfelt spanking and yell has made me the disciplined individual I am today.

I would like to extend an early thank you to my host mom and dad Pattie and Jon Pace they have really made me feel like I am home .I appreciate your generosity and I'm sure I speak for my entire team in saying that our host families are truly amazing.

Ladies and gentleman SAWIP is beyond doubt a program of greatness. It places us in a mindset of appreciation, love for the community, global understanding of issues facing the world, acknowledging who we are as young leaders and what our purpose is, work experience and self-development.

Many challenges await us as global leaders when we head back home yet I feel that it is of importance that we engross ourselves in believing and in hope… On the 6th of July our team was privileged to have a meeting with Congressman John Lewis. My question to him was what his currents thoughts are on the youth   He boldly stated that "the youth are too quiet."

Young global leaders it is our time to shine, it is our time to speak up and be heard. We are the future and the change agents to leading citizens to the road of optimism…

Our highly talented SAWIP group member Sizwe Mpofu Walsh. Wrote a song about the youth the chorus reads  as follows.

“long live the days of our youth, the days of sweet truth

these are the times we will rewind back in our minds”…

An anthem to starting a revolution .Let us live it up like an endless road without ever needing a closing line.

Thank you!

During the course of week one all the excitement and new surroundings were accompanied by a lot of thought…

 

As a proud metro rail commuter back home I always find myself in deep thought on various issues in my immediate surroundings. Sometimes I’m inspired, sometimes I’m troubled or disappointed and sometimes I’m just in an energized brainstorming frame of mind… So here I am in this swift transportation mode; cushioned seats, air conditioner, carpeted floors and a generally pleasant way for people to travel from point A to B. Metro rail DC…

 

I instantly started to make a distinction between the metro system here and the one back home. The first thing that struck my mind was how everyone in the train was so mesmerized by their glowing screens. IPods, IPads, IPhones, Kindles and something I was very delighted to see; newspapers all gazing at me like a Krispy Kreme doughnut waiting to be bought. This observation lead to my thought about how back home people mostly sit and think in the train, listen to music or chat away with friend, family or people they don’t know. I was amazed by the neatness of the dc train; this is because of the strict rules and regulations set; no eating, no bicycles and no pets on trains.

 

 

Food is sold at most stations in South Africa… I watched a train being swept one morning before I hopped on. I realized that the litter on the train is caused by the food that is being sold on the stations. I thought that perhaps we as South Africans are underestimating our rights and privileges, because we eat the food, yet some of us struggle( in our ignorance ) to throw the packing packets away. Setting the DC‟ no eating on the train policy” in South African would cause colossal damage, not only for the people eating the food but the small enterprises run by mothers, fathers , young women and men on the station. I thought of how peculiar it is that the metro trains in DC are equipped with carpets and how dirty and odorous they could get during rainy seasons or from people experiencing nausea. In that regard the maintenance of the trains could be form of job creation back home yet the inevitable DC train maintenance worries would be set on us.

 

My thoughts lead me to a clear conclusion that every country has its own operating system that poses challenges yet works for them. I enjoy the sense of community in the trains back home as well as the different people I come across who depict a South African story through visual appearance. I enjoy the neatness of the trained here in DC , the time efficiency of the trains and the roller costar effect at certain points.

 

Metro Rail DC Mission statement- DC Metro operates and maintains a safe, reliable and effective transit system that enhances mobility, improves the quality of life, and stimulates economic development in the Washington metropolitan area

Metro rail South Africa Mission Statement -Sustain transport solutions through service excellence, innovation and modal integration

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I encountered a wise and much admired South African that said in a speech; today we speak of transportation as an integral part of our lives all because of such humble and resolute efforts by our heroes. Today we plan our lives around transportation and take for granted its history and its part in the systematic segregation of Black and White South Africans.

 

There is more to transportation than we think… more thoughts will arise during the remaining weeks here in DC and as I head back home.

 

I dedicate this blog to our country. I realized during week two of being in DC and New York that South Africans are everywhere and were ever they are, they shine. As we visited the SA embassy, consulate general offices and the Standard bank offices in New York. It struck me how the South Africans we met as far as they are, are all about working for the country and if not they surely show that they are proudly South African. People spoke to us in our native languages if they could, we had South African dishes prepared for us and we listened to our music. All witch added up to creating a comfortable atmosphere reminding us of home.

 

I wrote this piece below for our country. It is not entirely a poem; it is a bunch of heartfelt words I combined to show my gratitude for being South African and for being here in The United States of America.

 

You SA have made us who we are

You SA have made us who we are.

 

You have brought us to this country to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the globe, intensifying our opportunities and enabling us to dwell in self-growth.

 

You have surrounded us with people of towering caliber and for that we thank You not only for the lavish board rooms we are accustomed to but because a mirror image is set, as we ponder upon were we want to be ,and listen attentively to the successful individuals we meet.

 

South Africa we admire how inimitable You are … Your rainbow being has made you assorted in many ways

 

Yet,

 

When You unite those colors a sense of community is formed and You live up to the spirit of Ubuntu

 

You are for the people…

 

Your many qualms can bring darkness to a sunny day But South Africa You are hope… You are a lamp and we are Your light. We know Your pain we know Your sorrow, we know Your weaknesses and Your strengths South Africa we are here for You.

 

An emerging generation of young leaders itching to serve You... here we are South Africa. When we come back to You help us to live up to our promise to serve You and make You a brighter place. Thank You SA for bringing us to USA.

 

” At times you may end up far away from home, you may not be sure of where you belong anymore; but home is always there because home is not a place-it's where your passion takes you." -anonymous

 

 

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