MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Bill and Chelsea Clinton visit Ubuntu

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The Ubuntu Education Centre in Zwide, Port Elizabeth is an iconic building housing a project doing iconic work amongsth the dispossesed of the area.

The Ubuntu Center is also a Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment site that was visited by the man himself, Bill Clinton, this afternoon. Accompanying Clinton was his daughter, Chelsea and a couple of financial heavyweights including well known actors Jesse Eisenberg and Dakota Fanning.

One doesn’t realise just how much money the Ubuntu Education centre attracts to Port Elizabeth as they continue with their ‘cradle to career’ initiative which takes children literally as babies and mentors and educates them to university level. The current crop of pre-school children numbers 80 with 9 teachers. These children all receive a uniform, education, meals and guidance through their critical growing up years.

This is a feat requiring millions of Rand each year and most of it comes from foreign donors. Obviously the name Clinton opens many doors and the Ubuntu Education Fund can count their blessings that they have such a benefactor giving them much needed support.

I have never seen so many media people as were at the Ubuntu centre this afternoon – eat your heart out SA Politicians! Come to think of it not one of our local politicians was there – I would have thought that they would have at least come to express their gratitude ……

Anyway, the Ubuntu Fund stands as a shining example and lasting legacy to Jacob Lief and Banks Gwaxula.

In 1994 a 17 year old American scholar Jacob Lief arrived in South Africa to observe the first democratic elections. Jacob returned to Cape Town in 1997 only to find out that the job he had been offered was a scam.

Disillusioned Jacob got on a train to Port Elizabeth, met Banks Gwaxula in a shebeen and was taken in by Banks to stay in his Zwide home.

Working as a teacher Lief saw a great hunger in his pupils for knowledge.

Gwaxula and Lief then came up with a plan to invest in local children and Ubuntu was born in 1999.

Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Clinton at the Ubuntu Centre in Zwide, Port Elizabeth
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg visits the Ubuntu Centre in Zwide, Port Elizabeth
Bongisa and Bill Clinton
Bongisa Mabusela and Bill Clinton. Bongi drives the development of early childhood development programs to address the emotional, cognitive, sensory, moral, and communicative needs of children from birth to the age of five.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.