Suddenly, everyone wants to save Africa.
Oprah, the woman with more money and more charities than seems humanly necessary, is being applauded for her recent opening of The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. It is being opened in a small town called Henley-on-Klip which is just south of Johannesburg. The facility reportedly cost $40 million and will house 152 11 and 12 year old girls where they will enjoy a yoga studio, beauty salon, wellness center, theater and library.
What the hell do 11 and 12 year olds need with a freaking yoga studio? Hmm?
Apparently anticipating the criticism of her lavish attention to these hand-picked young ladies, Oprah responded in Newsweek, “I understand that many …feel that I’m going overboard, and that’s fine. This is what I want to do. I wanted to take girls with that ‘it’ quality and give them an opportunity to make a difference in the world.”
Now when I first heard about the school and what Oprah was doing, I was under the impression that she would be helping teenagers, preparing them for college and what have you. To find out that these are kids she’s pouring all of this into is unfathomable to me.
Oprah’s reasons for doing this are also credited to a promise she made to Mandela and an opportunity to “change the face of a nation.”
Perhaps it is just my ignorance, but what happens when these girls are 13? What happens when they are “expelled” from the lushness of Oprah’s Academy for Transnational Guilt, and they are plopped back into their villages and homes where their parents may be proud of them, but they have to deal with hostility and anger from other children who were not given those same luxuries and who are hungry or perhaps have had to go to work to support their families? And how are the girls themselves supposed to go back to their homes after living in the lap of luxury for however long?
And that raises another question I have. How long are these girls going to be allowed to remain in the school? Is it until they graduate? If so, that would make a lot more sense to me. Are they being taught how to help their country? Are they being given the tools to help with the hopelessness, the corruption, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, etc.? What are they being taught at this wonderful academy that made it so necessary for Oprah to spend $40 million dollars on the facility alone?
One of my first questions after I read this was if the woman wants to help kids who aren’t being given an opportunity to excel, then why doesn’t she build it in inner cities here in the United States?
This is her response to that question:
“I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools that I
just stopped going. The sense that you need to learn just isn’t there,”
she said. “If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will say an
iPod or some sneakers. In South Africa, they don’t ask for money or
toys. They ask for uniforms so they can go to school.”
Now, again, I could be wrong, but aren’t some areas in Africa just as status, label driven as the inner cities here in the states? And if Oprah was able to send out a call to girls, receiving over 3,500 applicants of worthwhile ambition, talent and intelligence in Africa, is she saying that those qualities are not present in the states or that inner cities girls here who meet those criteria have enough opportunities to make it without her help?
I am not taking away the fact that Oprah donates millions and millions of dollars annually to historically black colleges and foundations to help her hometown and inner cities, but what I am saying is “Do you know what $40 million dollars could do in a school here in the states?” or even if her current passion is to help Africa, why not use that money to build several schools?
Chris Rock, one of the attendees at the grand opening of the school, visited Kenya during his visit to the continent. Madonna has adopted an African child as well as Angelina, who I would gladly stalk just for the sexual enjoyment of having her cuss me out, but what about all the children here!!??? Why must we go save another country when this one is such a pathetic mess?
I recognize the issue is complicated. Oprah did what she felt would help better a group of people. Madonna and Angelina, well, I can’t vouch for their reasons. They look crazy walking around with two African children in their pale arms. What if I decide to go into the Peace Corps? Will I be subject to that same criticism for helping a South American country?
Maybe one day it will make sense. Maybe one day, someone will build a school in Flint, or open a business to create more jobs since the plant has closed, or help alleviate the strain of drugs and alcoholism, etc. etc. etc. Maybe I will be that person. Or maybe they’ll just go and build another academy in Africa and spend $50,000 adopting a foreign baby. Who knows.
Africa has been under attack from within by corruption and AIDS and famine for decades upon decades. Why the rush now? What is the deal now? Oprah, Chris, Angelina and Madonna didn’t just now get money.
So why is Africa suddenly the “in” place to save?
6 Comments
January 8, 2007 at 4:35 pm
I agree with your point — and it’s brave of you to make a point that is so “not correct” these days. My additional frustration is that in flat-out numbers there are even more U.S. kids in rural poverty (and the resulting horrible schools) than there are in the U.S. inner cities.
But as you know, these kids are just not the flavor of the month for our blessed media stars. And what does it say about Oprah that she gives up on U.S. schools because she “became frustrated?” Those kids, and the kids in poor rural schools can’t just flit to the next, more chic, problem when they become frustrated with their lives.
The net rate of infection from AIDS is higher in Washington DC than in most of Africa. So, Bono, and your (RED) iPod, and (RED) Gap jeans, whatcha gonna do about that?
January 8, 2007 at 4:39 pm
AAAAAMEENN!!!
January 8, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Thanks for this post. You said what many of us are thinking. Oprah can be “frustrated” with our schools but unless she and others are willing to help now, they are in for a wild ride in a few years when these kids are grown.
January 9, 2007 at 11:17 pm
I appreciate your opinion however I would like to add that Oprah has vowed to make sure all of the girls that attend her school go to college. I highly doubt that she will abandoned them after they finish her “boarding school”. If you know anything about Oprah, you know that will not happen. Also once these girls are finish, a spot will be open for new girls so over the years there will be more than just a few “privileged” girls who have the opportunity to better themselves and hopefully their communities.
Personally I applaud Oprah for what she is doing in Africa. Yeah, sure she could have opened a school in the many many troubled areas right here in the United States of America but this has been a dream of hers for some time (according to her). When something moves and motivates to you the way she explains building this school has for her, I don’t blame her for going all out. I mean, have we forgotten its her money and she can do whatever she wants with it. My reasons for saying this is because Oprah along with Melinda and Bill Gates (Microsoft owner and wife) have contributed more to “our” schools than any single entity has ever done. So I would say, she also cares deeply for the kids at home. She is a huge advocate for child laws and have even on several occasions went to Congress fighting for their rights. Being from Chicago, I have watched Oprah for years, even before she was popular, in Chicago and she has always been for the kids here in America and their rights and laws pertaining to them.
About 6 yrs ago, Oprah gave millions to inner city schools in the Chicago and Michigan areas, her angel network has a division specifically for “America Schools”. She has, since the early 80’s, given 10 scholarships a year for a deserving seniors to go to college, all expenses paid for their entire 4 years. Thats 10 students a year! She did a show not too long ago where she provided an update on some of the students she sponsored. She really does keep in touch with them or at least her staff does!
I’m saying all this to say: The media hypes up anything they think will get people talking. I think its appalling for them to criticize what someone else does with their own money especially when it for the good of human beings not matter what continent they happen to live on!
How often do see other famous and wealthy people put so much money into something to help others. I think all others who are blessed enough to make more money than its humanly possible to spend should start giving back as well!
Thats all folks!!!
January 19, 2007 at 8:24 am
Rochelle, you said everything I was going to say, but much more articulate!
January 22, 2007 at 11:56 am
I respect Rochelle’s opinion and Melba’s agreement, but just because its your money, doesn’t allow you the luxury of being frivalent with it. It’s my body, but it doesn’t make it right if I choose to share it with everyone in Tucson. It’s basketball players and football player’s money, but they still look crazy for going out and buying 15 cars and a 18000 square foot house when it’s only them and a girlfriend. I don’t know. There are so many people out there with money, who can actually help. And in the blog, I acknowledged Oprah’s efforts at helping and creating opportunities with her money. However, I feel $40 million dollars is excessive, irresponsibly so. Yes, she has more money and can keep giving if she choose, but it saddens me that she has so much to give and so much of it was just given to one school. All I’m saying. Thanks ladies for stopping by and weighing in on Oprah and her dinero.