Almost seven months ago, I had a SAWIP interview at the Fredrick Van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development, and I remember feeling overwhelmed with feelings of nervousness. Today, I stand astounded at the magnitude of the opportunity that was presented to me. Immersing myself in the program meant that I was constantly learning how to handle this moment of opportunity and understanding my responsibility for the space I hold, while simultaneously having to overcome my own insecurities. I could have never imagined that the program would be meaningful, transformational and a tremendous force in my life. It has been a space for growth, a space to cultivate and reclaim courage and a voice.

The program has offered the 2016 team opportunities to engage on pressing and topical issues, both nationally and internationally. It has equipped us with community knowledge and has inspired us to reflect about what servant leadership is. In light of honoring a post-conflict South Africa, SAWIP has aided us with tools to engage about the new realities of South Africa. As such, my perception of the national project and my understanding of what it means to be a citizen of South Africa has been expanded, and is informed by the notion of reimagining and the value of co-creating a South African society. The curriculum has provoked innovative ways of thinking and has inspired us to move forward in our respective interests around social justice. Certainly, the program has narrowed but intensified my interests. It has enabled me to locate myself where I believe I can be most effective and impactful. Ultimately, the program has given us clarity about who we are as individuals and thus, a greater belief in ourselves and what our contribution can be and where we can direct our energies.

It has been a profoundly rewarding experience and this feeling was heightened on Friday during my visit at the Fredrick Van Zyl Slabbert Institute for a feedback session with the National Program Manager, Shannon Bernhardt. As I was leaving the Institute, and thinking about the conversation I had with Shannon, I was reminded of the purpose of SAWIP- to prepare, inspire and support a generation of diverse emerging South African leaders to successfully address transformation challenges and to strengthen a sustainable and efficient democracy with active citizens. And exactly at the perfect moment my attention was drawn to Dr. Fredrick Van Zyl Slabbert’s plaque, with an overhead wall that reads: “His life was rooted in the values of social justice which guided his participation on an ongoing basis in considering what democracy is and how it should be lived by citizens of South Africa and other countries”.

In that moment I thought to myself, if there is one wish the program has for us, is that we may reach our personal potential and to strategically position ourselves as drivers of social transformation with a prowess to champion democratic values, to mobilize around transformative community building and to model ethical leadership in response to the leadership crisis in South Africa. And right now, what’s pulsating in my heart is that I cannot be afforded this opportunity and not use it for something greater than myself. It strongly feels as though the program has been preparing me for the next moment that is to come, and whatever that moment is, I know that I have the responsibility to be of service for the greater good.