Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy

[Dave A]

Well done to Oprah Winfrey for opening a leadership academy for girls here in South Africa.

United States talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is due to open her long-awaited school on Tuesday -- fulfilling a promise she made to former President Nelson Mandela six years ago and giving more than 150 poor South African girls a chance for a better future.
full story from M&G here

It seems the project took some persistence to see through.

United States television talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey admitted on Wednesday that she nearly gave up her $40-million school project in South Africa after people at first failed to understand her vision for it.

"My biggest struggle here ... was getting other people in this country to understand my vision," Oprah told the network. "For a long, long time it was cumbersome and difficult. And I gave up about three years ago."

But she changed her mind after officials were going to name it after her anyway and "I had to have some control over what's going to happen", she said.

"I think there's some residual apartheid effect here," she said, adding that many "people didn't [believe] that African girls should have such beautiful surroundings" at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls at Henley-on-Klip, south of Johannesburg.

"Everybody is calling it lavish. I call it comfortable," she said. "Why would I build tin shacks for girls who come from tin shacks?"
full story from M&G here

[Candy Bouwer]

I have heard that Oprah is also about to open a new co-ed school here in KZN too soon. but what with all the compulsory "aids" testing..is it going to be a criteria in enrollment?

[Candy Bouwer]

follow up on the aids thing in IOL this morning! Answers some questions!

Meanwhile, Oprah publicly took an HIV test in South Africa on Saturday to raise Aids awareness.

The 52-year-old star - who has just opened the $40-million Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in the country - also promised the 152 pupils at her new school free Aids testing, counselling and treatment, if
necessary.

She said: "To be a great leader you must be of sound mind, body and spirit.

"Part of leadership is having the courage to demonstrate true action. Today I have taken the test to demonstrate why it's so important."

Winfrey's test results will be kept confidential, as will those of the students. Taking an Aids test is not compulsory for pupils, and results will not affect their participation at the school.