Center of Science and Technology: Help me make these students famous!

Posted December 30th, 2008 in Leadership Academy, Technology & Innovation by Frerieke

By Frerieke van Bree

Why?

Because they deserve it! because we can.


How?

starting this 2009 with:

– making a book with all their produced material in 2008 (slide shows a preview into the book)

– teaching the students more leadership skills

– teaching blogging, video editing, mobile reporting

– help the students start their own site: students4humanity and make a difference in their community

What for?

To raise money and awareness to allow those bright minds to individually thrive in life, in University, in their community and on a global scale!

Students are the voice of tomorrow. Youngsters are the spring of the nation! kids are the leaders of the next generation!

The COSAT learners are the most amazing and inspiring individuals I met in my life! I have learned a lot about myself via them, and still do.
Youth empowerment in the Townships of South Africa is needed. Poverty is a daily issue. Role models are needed! Guest teachers wanted!
Connections wanted! Resources welcome! Donations lovely!

Those students want to learn, they want to make a difference, they want to lead by serving others, they want to set the example in the new South Africa, be part of transformation in Africa! All they need is opportunities and Eye-openers to see the opportunities. Those students are the change you want to see in the world!

The work the students have done in the ‘art and leadership’ classes in 2008 is amazing: photographs, artworks and essays to show you what matters to them. Those 15 year old individuals have each found their mission in life. Let them inspire you to stay true to your own mission! Help me get this book published! Help me get their site online! Help me get the message out there, really…help me get those students and this school (the only school in South Africa with IT as a matric subject, with such an amazing free education!) be famous! Be creative in your cooperation!

help me with this list:

NEEDED:
– a publish house for the 200 pages visual book
– a WordPress MU guru, willing to set up the students4humanity with buddypress and mobilepress applications
– designers (for the book, the site, marketing material)
– user-interface designer (for the site)
– prepaid cards (to let the students be online on their mobile phone)
– Mobile phones
– IT teachers (anybody into mobile applications? those students do not have computers at home!)
– role models (black intellectuals… we want your motivational talk!)
– a fast internet connection at the school
– bloggers/online media guru’s/marketing consultants we want some courses!
– a schoolbus and a driver!

Ok, I can keep on going. Dream big is what one of the South African bloggers and online professionals, Darren Smith, told me to do.
Hey all you South African bloggers, online professionals, companies, intellectuals, connected ones, tech-savvy people…make sure the next Wordcamp SA is one with lots of color, representative for your country. Make sure the whole South African population is on top of the innovation, online applications, mobile technology. Make sure there will not be another heated discussion about the color of the South African blogger. Invest in the future! Be the change you want to see in the world!

Hey you international community, all you clever entrepreneurs, policy makers,  …the world is your playground. Make sure everybody is having fun! That includes the ones that are not part of your conversation, innovation, partnerships,..at the moment. Be bold. 2009 is waiting for you..

Festive season: Celebrating family

Posted December 20th, 2008 in Leadership Academy by Frerieke

By Frerieke van Bree

What a wonderful time to have a post dedicated to family. Thank you Nezi for your inspiring dedication to transformation in your family! (please read her post below..)
Have a wonderful festive season everybody! Whether or not you are with family… Be like family to all the people around you… and show your appreciation..

Here’s to my family: even though this is another Christmas that I am far away from you all …I’m with you everyday! The greatest gift you can give me is your happiness! And I promise you, I am living mine.. Love ya all!

Nezi Busakwe

 
By Nezi Busakwe

What matters to me????

My family is a matter to me. We are 4children 2girls and 2boys. Since I was young not even a year old my father was working on mines and he is still working there trying to find something for his family to eat, trying to satisfy us and make to be like other families.

He did this for years and pretends to enjoy it. Sometimes at work the boss would say they are many for that particular mine so the must be others leaving the mine. This had happened to my father many times, first time they gave him not working for about 3 months and not paying him. But my parents managed to give us best education. If I look at our situation at home it always remind what I am here. And the answer came to make a difference to my family.

My parents are always making sure that we get education. My older brother is doing his second year at PETEC. Sometimes I ask GOD why did he made us? Did he made us so that we can be an example of suffering people or what? When I see my brother not going to school because of money, I start to ask myself questions. Why I am a student, busy studying but at the end of the day I would not go to university. The last level of education? but the answer just came and said I was born to make a
different.

Sometimes I feel real bad when my father is ill because of the work he did. My heart hurts that I get food and everything because of my father’s life. Not forgetting my mother who is a star to me, my role model, who always live for her children.

IM HERE TO MAKE A DIFFERENT FOR MY FAMILY!!!!!!!

Nezi Busakwe's family

 Nezi Busakwe washing her hair

Your action to empower Young Mobile reporters!

Posted November 28th, 2008 in Technology & Innovation by Frerieke

Afrigadget - young mobile reporters!

By Frerieke van Bree

In my previous post I wrote:

“I am so happy that I was able to step over my own foolish insecurity and explore and exchange at the above mentioned conferences. Great things come out as a result! Me being the connector enables underprivileged students from Khayelitsha to become mobile reporters on Afrigadget !!!

I am now inviting you to have a look at Erik’s latest post on Afrigadget, find the ‘chipin’ (visual, online fundraising tool) and take your action in making “this” happen! (“this” is the start of a great grass root reporting project all over the developing world!)

Do you want to know more about those amazing South African ladies (Zintle Sithole and Lukhona Lufuta) who will be contributing at the Afrigadget blog?

Find them in one of our old videos: (Zintle is the first lady to speak, followed by Lukho)

(this video goes together with this post: http://lovetotheworld.org/archives/37)

Don’t feel sorry for me!

Posted September 12th, 2008 in Leadership Academy by Frerieke

nwabisahome nwabisafamily nwabisa

By Frerieke van Bree

Nwabisa Dyonashe is a 15 year old South African girl who lives in Township Khayelitsha near Cape Town. She is a 10th grade student of COSAT (Center of science and Technology). She is one of our inspiring students of the art and leadership initiative that Anasuya and I started at the school.

What inspires me so much about these students is their willingness to learn, to make a difference, to be great. The difficulties that a lot of them have to face on a day to day base are enormous. The responsibilities those 15 year olds have to take, go way beyond what I could have imagined when i was 15. Yes my teenage years were not always the greatest, but i start appreciating all opportunities i had more an more by seeing those students here in Khayelitsha apreciate what they have got.

Enjoy this short, but very powerful text of Nwabisa, together with the pictures she took of her house and family:

By Nwabisa Dyonashe

I live with my grandmother with my brother and sister. She is a pensioner so she doesn’t have enough money for buying everything in the house. So I have committed myself to working in a salon every Saturday and Sunday to help her. I help her by buying things that are finished and buy things that are needed in school and maybe a pair of shoes for either my brother or sister. Doing this for my family really matters to me. I don’t feel like people have neglected us. I just know it’s my life and I am living it. And I don’t expect people to feel sorry for me.