So what do you think of Oprah's girls school in South Africa?

[CTyankee]

It's all over GMA this week and Diane is gushing. But I must admit I had tears in my eyes when Oprah starting talking about answering critics who said her spending on the project was "too much." The words of the lovely minister of education at the opening ceremony were so elegant and touching.

When Diane Sawyer explained that many of these girls had been beaten and raped I nearly lost it. These kids have been through so much. And were they eloquent! There were brief clips of them telling why education matters to them and they were extraordinary!

I'm so glad Oprah is doing this instead of giving away cars on her TV program!

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

1. Noble thought

but a school in Detroit or Chicago or LA would make more sense to me....... :shrug:

[xultar]

2. I agree with Oprah about our inner-city schools. I think parenting issues

are really messin up the kids and the kids don't want to do more. They'd rather be a millionaire without the work.

[MonkeyFunk]

6. I think

children in Detroit and Chicago and L.A. have far greater opportunities than these girls in Africa.

It's a great thing she's done.

[Kikosexy2]

11. But ...

doncha know already...OPRAH IS GOD!!

[aquart]

12. No, it's not a thought. It's ACTION.

She put her money and her influence and her name where her mouth is, as she usually does.

NOBODY can do everything that needs to be done. I suggest that if you feel the schools in Detroit or Chicago or LA need support, you get to work on it. Maybe there will be others to join in with you.

You do what you can, where you can.

And negating good work because there is more waiting to be done is disgusting. There will always be more waiting to be done.

[Warpy]

13. It would be "nice" in a US inner city

but it's ESSENTIAL in Africa.

Educating women there is the only thing that will lift that continent out of total despair.

Women who are educated will see themselves as having worth beyond domestic servitude and baby production. They will go on to teach other women.

Oprah wanted to start to change the world. She can do that in Africa, where there is so much more bang for the buck.

We're the ones who need to do it here, by wresting wealth and power away from those who have too much of both and are hungry for more and investing it in the country and its people instead of in pseudo royalty.

[pnwmom]

14. Have you read what Oprah has to say about that?

It made some sense to me.

This is me, not Oprah:

For American students, the odds of being accepted on a scholarship at a good private school are much better than the odds facing any girl in South Africa who aspires to Oprah's school.

Students here who are as disadvantaged as those she's serving in South Africa have more than one option. They can go to public schools,parochial schools, or -- if they're the highly motivated, bright kind of students Oprah is after -- they can go to private schools on scholarship. I have a friend from an inner city Chicago neighborhood who went to one of the top private boarding schools in New England. She was recruited by admissions officers who came to her city and spoke in the public schools.


On edit: in reality, no kids here are as disadvantaged as those in South Africa, because we do have universal education. No motivated child here is prevented from attending a public school. Certainly, the quality of those schools varies -- and to an unconscionable degree -- but that doesn't change the fact that the poorest of the poor in South Africa have fewer options than they do here.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. They have schools in Detroit, Chicago, and LA.

What are Africans? Chopped liver?

Why does Oprah hate America?

[durrrty libby]

3. It is wonderful

Here is an earlier thread on it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x3030488

[IndyOp]

4. I've not read a lot about it, but I saw her "Christmas Kindness"

episode about her trip to South Africa a few years ago - they gave away good food, clothing, simple toys, and they brought doctors with them to treat the children invited to the events they held. She was clearly shaken to the core - in the best of ways - when she was with the children.

I admire a school even more than the trip that helped, but then it was over. Education lasts forever and the children who attend the school will, I am sure, be given the best of medical care, food, counseling and education by African professionals.

If I have any question about the amount of money - $40 million for one school campus in Africa - I can pretty quickly remind myself that I have no clue how much money it would really take to build and staff and provision such an effort over a number of years. I am guessing that the $ amount is an estimated cost over a number of years.

So I say to Oprah -> Thank You. :hug:

[etherealtruth]

5. It is a wonderful thing that she has done

It is heartening to see someone that has been given so much, give back so much to the world around her

[Imagevision]

7. It's great, Oprah fully supporting Obama is fantastic news also...

[applegrove]

8. I agree it is lovely. Though I would have spend the money on more

school places and more teachers than beautiful sheets..there is no reason why SA cannot have an elite school for little girls there. The West certainly has them. Sourthern Africa already has some great elite girls schools..you can never have too many schools.

[CTyankee]

9. Re: the sheets thing. I just think her heart went out for these girls in a very maternal way.

I know that's the way I would feel, and have felt, for my own daughters. It was sweet.

We should follow what happens with these girls. I think they are going on to greatness. Hearing them speak, I was amazed at how articulate they were. She obviously got the "best and brightest" for her school and is aiming at training the next group of women leaders for S. Africa. It was a smart move on her part. It's what Yale does...

[applegrove]

10. There are already excellent schools all over South Africa. This is just

another one. Can never be too many.

[Raine]

16. It's TERRIFIC

Cheers to Oprah! :thumbsup:

[w8liftinglady]

17. I think any generous deed done for the betterment of others is positive.

Those girls are thrilled to be going to this school...nad so are their relatives.It's a good thing.Time for more folks to put their money where their mouths are.