On the 22nd of October, some of the team travelled to Langeberg SS in Robertson to complete our team community interaction project. The event was the school's annual prize giving and we were invited to hand over certificates to the learners who had participated in our Leadership Series. I introduced Sibahle and myself to the audience and said a few words before we handed out the certificates. (Speech is in Afrikaans, the language of instruction at Langeberg, and the mother tongue of the majority of learners, parents, school staff and other attendees)

Goeie naand dames en here,

namens my spanmaats van die South Africa-Washington International Program (afgekort na SAWIP), wil ek julle graag bedank vir die geleentheid om vanaand hierdie spoggeleentheid met julle te deel. Ek vra ook namens die wat nie vanaand hier kan wees nie, om verskoning.

SAWIP is 'n 6-maande lange program vir jong Suid-Afrikaanse leiers van 3 Wes-Kaapse universiteite: Kaapstad, Stellenbosch, en die Universiteit van die Wes-Kaap. Die doel van die progam is om 'n diverse nuwe generasie van diens-gerigte leiers te inspireer, te ontwikkel en te ondersteun. Die waardes van die program is onder meer integriteit, respek en nederigheid.

Ons groep van 15 wat in 2013 aan die program deelgeneem het, het besluit om Langeberg te nader en in die skool se leierskapstruktuur ons projek te loods. Ons verwagtinge was om met 'n groep jong leerders met leierskapspotensiaal te kom gesels en van die vaardighede waaroor ons as 'n groep beskik, te deel. Die hoop was om 'n verskil te maak.

Wat toe gebeur het, is dat hierdie fantastiese leiers ONS lewens verryk het, verander het. Die energie en insig wat ons op die eerste Saterdag in hierdie einste saal ervaar het, het ons geïnspireer en opnuut laat besef dat die toekoms in die hande van die jeug is. Al is ons 'n paar jaar ouer, is ons trots om deel te vorm van dieselfde jeug as die Langeberg VRL. Hulle is 'n brawe en gedetermineerde groep. John F. Kennedy, destydse president van die VSA, het gesê dat elke mens 'n verskil kan maak, en daarom moet elkeen probeer. Dié VRL probeer en ons glo hulle maak 'n verskil.

Vir die ouers wil ons baie dankie sê. Sonder u belangstelling in die leerders se lewens sou hierdie projek nie moontlik gewees het nie. Ons waardeer dit dat u moeite gedoen het om u kinders betyds by die sessies te kry,veral dankie vir die vroeg opstaan die Saterdagoggend toe hulle Stellenbosch toe is.

Dan wil ons ook vir die personeel van Langeberg bedank vir hulle ondersteuning. Dr Landman, vir u sê ons spesifiek dankie. U vertelling van Langeberg se leerderraad en die uitdagings wat die skool ervaar, het ons oorspronklik opgewonde gemaak oor die geleentheid om ons projek hier uit te voer.

Dit is my voorreg om nou die 2013 Langeberg VRL na vore te roep en aan elkeen 'n sertifikaat van deelname te oorhandig.

Baie dankie weereens vir die uitnodiging en geniet die res van die aand.

Good evening distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen

I am Anna-Marie Müller and I am an African. I care deeply about my continent and its people. I am honoured to share tonight some of my thoughts about what making a difference could mean for me.

I grew up in Stellenbosch, a town known for its wine, mountains and university. Some of my childhood was spent in other university towns in Europe, as my father is an academic and our family accompanied him on fellowships and sabbaticals. In our home, my brother and I were brought up to nurture our curiosity. I love exploring the world – through books, travelling, dreaming. I look for stories and ideas wherever I go, and SAWIP has really added new dimensions to my life.

Since the selection camp in April, I have carried this green journal with me. Paging through it in preparation for this speech, I remember the range of important debates we have had as a team. The one thing that stands out to me about the SAWIP experience regarding leadership is the importance of creating conditions for others to self-empower. So I ask myself how I can be an enabler wherever I go.

I am a graduate student in Sustainable Development at Stellenbosch University. I like systemic thinking, holistic approaches to problems and finding pragmatic solutions. This fits in well with my field of study. I have a keen interest in food security and nutrition, as well as in resource economics and ecosystem services. Finding a way to make sense of these subjects, throwing in gender equality and access to education just to be sure there is enough complexity, has been my challenge so far.

To start answering my questions of “how”, I have identified a specific topic that I feel strongly about. It relates to how I see Africa positioning itself in the future. That topic is stunting. To explain it briefly, the 1000 days from the start of a mother’s pregnancy to her child’s second birthday is the window of opportunity for growth and development. Physiological and cognitive stunting occurring in this period due to undernutrition has life-long consequences for an individual’s life. A child whose brain is underdeveloped can never compensate for that loss. It means he or she will perform poorly in school, earn less as an adult and definitely contribute less to his or her country’s economy. I feel strongly that we cannot expect long-term, sustainable growth in Africa when children experience this barrier. Hunger is a solvable issue. With current UNICEF data indicating 40% of Africa’s children stunted, we must commit to reducing the prevalence of stunting as a promise to future generations that we are concerned about the world we leave behind one day.

Tomorrow we celebrate the 95^th birthday of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Me being here today is part of his legacy. He dedicated his life to more than the freedom of the millions of people who were excluded through legislation and at the hand of the police. He also freed me, the young, white Afrikaans-speaking South African. I believe that allowed me to form part of a culture that transcends the colour of our skin and tongue we speak to our grandmothers. That culture is marked by the intent to make a difference, to continue fighting for freedom, to have compassion and be open to hear one another’s stories. In the words of Madiba: “For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others”. To me, Mr. Mandela says democracy is having more than a good constitution. He is challenging me to contribute to freedom on a daily basis. I don’t believe the hungry or stunted are free. This challenge is my space to enable. It is how I choose to honour my own freedom.

Thank you.

This morning, Olwethu, Cecil and I met with Dr Meba Kagone, a medical doctor and a senior programme director for the DELIVER project. This project deals with supply chain management of public health in a range of issues: malaria, HIV and AIDS, family planning, pandemic threats, etc. Dr Kagone is originally from Burkina Faso and manages projects for 13 countries. He is an inspiring individual. We had an interesting discussion about Africa and public health.

The challenge of getting public health products to patients on time is huge. These can be either preventative or curative. Many barriers exist. JSI and the DELIVER project works to assist governments and ministries of health across the world to streamline supply chain management and build capacity to manage these systems sustainably and self-sufficiently in future. A key area that is being developed is quantification of needs. Knowing how much product is necessary is just as important as managing the infrastructure to supply product in country.

Dr Kagone’s opinion is that governance is the biggest limiting factor to self-sufficiency in Africa. His mantra was “governance governance governance” throughout our discussion. When I posed a question about population growth, he acknowledged that contraceptives are a means to curb growth rates, but the complex nature of adequately curbing the projected rates means that without good governance, efforts will not be successful. Africa (and other developing regions) is faced with high infant and maternal mortality rates. This is in part due to a short period between pregnancies for mothers. My own interest in nutrition of course also speaks to infant and maternal health and longevity, and this was another perspective that adds levels of complexity.

Bringing change to the population growth rates in Africa cannot be successful without women’s education and economic empowerment. The prevalence of contraceptive use (and the implications of that to population growth and maternal health) is significantly higher in countries with a higher rate of female education. Projects should therefore be focusing on all women: young girls to grandmothers. Each age group can be part of the change. What is of importance is commitment from governments in terms of policies and legislation, and then, crucially, the implementation of the commitments made. Although, according to Dr. Kagone, there is a theoretical buy-in from governments, this lack of resource and implementation commitment creates real challenges.

To sustain Africa we need the brilliant minds to stay on the continent, good governance and the determination to make the right decisions, Dr. Kagone said. You can be poor and live within your means, and this mind set should be pervasive on the continent. This means managing resources well and equitable distribution. He said to us: “go and fight” (for what’s right). His advice was to go back home, reflect and think critically about what you can do for your country. Ask a question like what is the situation right now; how can I contribute? This can be by running for public office, creating your own business, given that there is a system of good governance and democracy. Furthermore, it is important to have a good idea and then to garner the support of a critical mass of people who share it. Then, take control of that destiny.

Cecil asked him why he decided to study medicine originally. His response was that in medical school in Senegal, a survey was done with the same question. His response then was that he wants to help people who are sick, to be involved in curative health. Others responded that they want to be rich. Dr. Kagone still feels the same; he said clinical practice was very rewarding. As his career progressed, he realized that treating individual cases of malaria was not making the problem go away, and therefore answering the question “is this enough” of himself no longer was affirmative. He then moved to public health, where his work helps 1000s or even millions of people. And to that he says, yes, it is enough, because to him, that is the only way. With good governance, it will be enough.

Dr. Kagone thinks that the best way to make a difference is to be in Africa. He said that devising solutions in situ will yield the best results. Even though he may live here in the US, his heart and mind is still very much in Africa. He is working in a field that he is very passionate about, has no regrets and is still taking care of people. For me, the challenge in his great story was to make a difference where my passion lies. Delving into that statement is a topic for another blog post.

A bunch of us attended a free concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts this evening. The Hungarian Roma folk music group Parno Graszt graced us with their music and dance. It was excellent and so much fun! The concert was part of the 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The performance at the Millennium Stage was really enjoyable and I especially loved the interactive element. I imagine that performers enjoy eliciting a response from their audience, and SAWIP did not hold back. We were all right in front of the stage by the end, dancing along to the wonderfully vibrant music. I am a huge fan of live music and today, this was just the after-work relaxation I needed.

In the row in front of me, a little girl sat. She hardly ever sat down, to tell the truth, most of the concert she was dancing in her seat. Her braids and beads were jubilant with her eyes glowing. It made the whole event more fun to me. She reminded me of another little girl I have shared music with, and would like to tell that story now.

In 2011 I travelled to Rwanda with 4 other students from Stellenbosch, all friends of mine who I hike with. We flew from Cape Town to Kigali and spent a wonderful 2 weeks in the Land of a Thousand Hills. Our budget was R150 a day, and most days we spent less than that. Our accommodation was mostly at lodges at a town church and we ate either food we bought on markets or in local “restaurants” similar to shebeens. We walked, took buses and hitch-hiked all around the tiny country in the Rift Valley of Africa. Many outstanding things happened to me during that trip. This story is about one of those.

During an afternoon in the town Butare, we walked into the Cathedral across the road from where we stayed. An Italian nun approached one of us and extended an invitation to the group to attend a mass the next morning. Two local girls would be taking their vows to become nuns. We thought it would be a good experience and arrived the next day, myself and the other girl in skirts with shawls wrapped around our shoulders. It was, in a sense, one of the most profound few hours of my life so far.

The mass we attended was over three hours long and we did not understand a word of the Kinyarwanda spoken. Yet I have never forgotten the rhythm of the chants of that day, nor the amazing power the smile of a child has. During the mass, a little girl came to sit next to me and held my hand for a long time. Her older sister remained at a distance but this girl was curious and just wanted the experience. She was open to seeing why we look different but was totally relaxed when she saw I also had lines on the palms of my hands. The acceptance she showed made me humble. It also showed me that we must never stop believing in the very principles of belief in God that I identify most strongly with in terms of my faith. If we accept each other and pass no judgement, we can walk hand-in-hand into the future. That energises me and continues to form part of how I make decisions and build relationships. The lack of this acceptance and attitude makes me sad sometimes and close-mindedness can slow me down, but at the end of the day, I am committed to keeping to this mind-set.

I am pretty confident in saying that one of the highlights of SAWIP remains the community we have formed as a team. I am equally sure to say that I was not the only one teary-eyed towards the end of Jessica’s speech at the Consulate in New York last Thursday night. At the selection camp back in April – how time flies! – I listed forming a community as one of my expectations of that weekend, and I had no guarantees I would be in the States 2 months later with this amazing a community to boot.

The last few days have been wonderful. New York City – wouldn’t expect anything else, would you? Every decision we made I am happy with, we really leveraged our time there well. No holding back! Some of the sights and moments I’ll never forget. One that comes to mind immediately is running through the rain up East 42^nd Street. Out of nowhere appears the Chrysler building, growing in the misty rain. Then Grand Central. Then we reach Times Square. We’re all pretty much drenched. And we’re together. We’re having a great time. Those moments are special ones.

The idea that my identity is more than just me, that it includes my relationships, is one I liked very much at our session this afternoon. My legacy will therefore also encompass my relationships. That’s pretty important to realise, I think. It makes just sitting in the space that I’m in, soaking up the energy, meditating what it means to be me, a much deeper experience. Another phrase that I’ve been contemplating since Thursday is Nietzsche’s aphorism of becoming who you are. We have the task as young adults to define our identities – or not. Regardless of the words we choose to describe ourselves with, there is a question of identity that we cannot avoid our whole lives. Many have written on this theme to whose texts we can turn for comfort and to find more questions.

On a lighter note, part of my US community is the family I live with. They are incredible people, welcoming me into their home and family. This evening we had crab for dinner. I experienced some “frustration with the crustacean”, laughed a lot, and felt at home. Just being in a space where I am accepted and can enjoy the feeling of nurturing meant a lot to me today. It was a good end to a crazy week. I’m looking forward to another week with my friends, my fellow classmates of SAWIP 2013. Another week in Washington DC. Can’t wait.

Will we wake up tomorrow to a world without Nelson Mandela? I believe this question is echoed by many, not only back home but also here in the USA and in the rest of the world. I feel honoured to be associated with this great man through my nationality. The last few days I have been writing notes on the metro into the city about my next blog, and the subject of nationality and identity often surfaced.

I am a young South African. My ancestry, going back to my great grandparents, is 1/8^th German, 2/8^ths Irish, and 5/8^ths Afrikaner. What it means to be a white South African, and particularly one that speaks Afrikaans as her mother tongue, is something most of the Americans I have interacted with here, have asked me. My usual response is that I am an African; that I am proud to be from South Africa, and that yes, I do wish to live on the continent for most of my life. Yet I feel I could elaborate on my identity somewhat. This past week I have read some essays by “young white Afrikaners”. I disagree with some of them and thought it best to add my 2 cents to the discussion, albeit for a different audience. I feel there is a need to diversify the voice of the modern Afrikaner.

I grew up in a family that encouraged questions and a curious nature. This meant I read quite a bit and spent hours talking, debating and listening to stories from anyone who’d tolerate me. I was never taught to disregard my culture or feel inferior based on government policies. A number of years ago I paged through a Dorling Kindersley book on cultures of the world. Upon finding the entry on the Afrikaners, the description did not match anyone I knew. Those I identify as my community, those in my micro system according to the Bronfenbrenner ecosystemic approach, those people that have shaped me, they were not Afrikaners by the DK definition. The Afrikaners close to me are not per definition nationalist and Calvinist above all else.

I believe it was Madiba that said once that everyone lost in apartheid. People did not know their countrymen and women. Our population lived in silos. In my experience, bridging the divides of the past is not always an easy task. Acknowledging the differences is an essential part of building new ways of interacting. In the SAWIP team there are many differences. I think it is important to be aware of them and to be open to what that means. Another part of that should include honouring those who have fought for our freedom. Not just the freedom of the millions of people who were excluded through legislation and at the hand of the police. I, the young, white Afrikaans-speaking South African, am also free today due to their efforts. And some of these fighters are and were Afrikaners.

If tomorrow were the day that marks the start of a world without Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, I am not disheartened by what it means for my identity. I am not concerned about continuing to enjoy my life in South Africa. I will mourn him as the father of my nation, whilst still being energised by the potential that will continue to live on. I believe that I form part of a culture that transcends the colour of our skin and tongue we speak to our grandmothers, that culture is marked by the intent to make a difference, to continue fighting for freedom, to have compassion and be open to hear one another’s stories. In the words of Madiba: “For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others”. I take up this challenge and I hope to be defined by these words.

My professional exposure is taking place at John Snow, Inc., an organisation that does research and technical support for the health industry, particularly related to aid projects. Since I started working at JSI yesterday, I have realised how great a match this is for me and what I am thinking of pursuing in the future. I am also lucky enough to have the friendly faces of Olwethu and Cecil in the JSI offices with me. Although the three of us are not placed at the same projects, our offices are in the same corner of the 15^th floor. We each have a spectacular view of the Potomac River, the Lincoln Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, the DC Mall, etc. What a pleasure it is to see the city from our viewpoint. It sure makes the hour-long commute to the office worth it!

The project at which I will be spending the majority of my time at JSI is the Strengthening Partnerships, Results, and Innovations in Nutrition Globally (SPRING) project. Today, I was based at the Agriculture and Nutrition Global Learning and Evidence Exchange (AgN-GLEE) in DC. I learnt an enormous amount. The theme of the day was “Strengthened and Sustainable Linkages among Agriculture, Economic Growth, and Nutrition”, which included some of the themes I am very interested in, especially looking at my thesis topic for the next 18 months. The attendance list included professionals from NGOs like Save the Children, USAID and World Vision. The day was commenced with a talk by Marie Ruel, the Division Director of IFPRI's Food Consumption and Nutrition Division. In my world, a superstar. I was inspired and convinced by the end of her discussion of the global landscape that nutrition and economics are the themes I wish to continue studying, specifically looking at the interface of the two.

We know that the nutrition an individual, a child, receives during the gestational period (pregnancy of the mother) and the first 2 years of his or her life, is absolutely crucial to growth. What particularly fascinates me is the effect that nutritional deficits in this period (referred to as the “1000 days”) can have on the brain. Cognitive stunting is a real concern. Linking this to economic growth, evidence has shown that there is a strong relationship between stunting and GDP. The relationship is 2-directional. An increase in GDP, which may mean a decrease in poverty, reduces the prevalence of stunting. Also, stunting causes friction on the curve of GDP growth. As a young researcher from a developing country, I am particularly concerned with what this may mean for our nation’s capacity (and continent, and the rest of the developing world) to grow economically over time. Cognitive stunting is not something you can rectify later in the developmental process. We cannot allow children to grow up without the cognitive potential to live a decent, fulfilling life. We need to gear our nation towards future generations that are well-equipped to contribute to their communities and society at large.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to work in this environment for the next 5 weeks, and to learn from individuals who are making contributions to nutrition and food security at both a research and policy level. I look forward to the knowledge and skill set I will develop, and what that will mean for my ability and capacity to make a difference.

This past week I have had the honour and pleasure to meet some of the US’s prominent thought leaders in the fields of social entrepreneurship, social change and higher education. These individuals are thoroughly committed to being agents of social change. Their primary methods vary from financing projects, leading large organisations and projects, teaching, doing research to facilitating processes of change. I have come out of these sessions a more inspired individual. They have challenged me to be more focused, more critical in thinking, softer with people, to be as aware of what I know as of what I don’t know. Something that I realised once again was that my actions and work are informed by that which I understand, and that complacency with that knowledge is dangerous. I have identified certain subjects and themes that I need to investigate further. Broadening one’s skill set must include a continuous mission to find out that which you don’t know exists.

As I write this, I see the North Eastern parts of the USA fly past from the train. Just by the end of the day I will have been in seven states. That is a privilege. This is one of the themes I have identified as needing more thought. I feel that we need to identify privilege more openly and speak from a place of gratitude and modesty about what each of us has. In comparison to many of the people I have interacted with in the US, I don’t come from a family that has financial privilege. As children, when my brother and I commented on the fact that we didn’t have a swimming pool at home, my parents’ response was always that we travel in our swimming pool. We were encouraged to embrace the wheels under our feet, the expression my parents used to explain our family’s love for travelling. My swimming pool is the experiences I have from all around the world. That is something I am privileged to have, and am grateful for beyond words.

Yet I say this knowing that my privilege is great in comparison to many people in the world. Most, even. I do not go hungry, ever, nor do I have concerns about where I sleep at night, if it is safe, about the risk of diseases I will be unable to respond to. My life is relatively carefree. Yesterday morning I woke to the sound of crashing waves on the Rhode Island coast, a beautiful place with children running freely on the beach. It was glorious. I am thankful for that, and for all the other privileges I have, and I acknowledge the fact that it is a privilege, and that I hear and see those things in the world that make others’ freedoms smaller. SAWIP is an expression of my freedom, and for that, too, I say thank you.

Right now I am getting ready for bed in Princeton, New Jersey. Yes - it's true, I'm in the USA earlier than the rest of my team. As part of my work as a multicultural educator at Stellenbosch University, I have come to the East Coast to travel to a selection of colleges with my co-worker Greg Ricks. I flew to Washington DC this past weekend (travelling 38 hours from departure of my first flight to arriving at Greg's home in Bridgeport, Connecticut). Since the very first flight I knew I was going to meet some incredible people and learn a lot. I sat next to Gary Kirsten, who is the coach of the South African Cricket side, the Proteas, and we had a fascinating conversation about leadership and how to create conditions for excellence. That was definitely the best flight of the 3 legs. (Good luck, team!)

I spent today at the Bonner Foundation here in Princeton, and will be here for three days. Bonner is an amazing organisation that has taken community interaction and the concept of service learning to more than 75 colleges across the USA. It's a dynamic space to learn new tricks and gather good knowledge for the challenges we face at home in the multicultural society we live in. It's housed in an old building that puts pictures from the Deep South into your mind. Gorgeous, to put it simply. The whole town is so overwhelmingly green (one of my favourite colours, as Elroy has teased me about). What's really great about the Bonner experience for me thus far are the discussions I've had with Robert Hackett, the president of Bonner, and Greg. We have had to sketch the context for our work to Robert, and this has forced me to think very critically about what stories I tell, how I articulate my interpretations of the many facets of the Stellenbosch culture, and of course, how I see the future. This evening, I was a guest at Robert's son's 17th birthday party, and I then had to explain to him and his 2 younger sisters, my country and my university. I realised again in this narrative how much South Africa excites me - the energy and opportunity of my home country, of my people, that's really special and recognising it is so important. I know that these next 2 weeks before my team gets here will prove to be very enlightening, and first day in, I already think of the many things I can go home and so with this new skill set.

I am really happy to be here and soak up as much as possible, and I'm proud to say to people I'm South African and a member of the youth who wants to make a difference. That kind of talk gets a good response here, and I hope it has the same effect on the rest of the team. We represent, and that's something to be really proud of.

I am deeply aware of the privileges I experience in my life. Throughout my childhood and as a young adult I have had so many opportunities that have opened doors to the world to me. My travels and exposure have meant that I see the world through a kaleidoscope lens. Part of keeping the kaleidoscope interesting and dynamic is to keep adding perspectives and stories and to change the landscape. Last week when the SAWIP team spent some time at the Cape Town Holocaust Centre, what stood out for me was Mrs Lichterman’s concept of conditions that enable us to acknowledge humanity and goodness in people. What a bonus to my lenses of seeing life!

As a young person keen to make a difference, I am, like my fellow SAWIP classmates, am searching for my “how”. This idea of creating the conditions described above really resonated with me. I am co-teaching a short course for the Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development with Greg Ricks in the second semester at Stellenbosch. It’s called Leadership Beyond Borders. We’ve been designing the curriculum since the start of the year and with applicants to full class capacity, I’m really excited to start the course. What that session at the Holocaust Centre highlighted for me was the importance of creating conditions that support the objectives of the course. I am very proud of the content we will be presenting, but the success of it will be dependent on the energy and feel of the class. I’m glad for the opportunities SAWIP has given me, and feel more informed now of how I need to prepare for my other projects. Enabling empowerment and recognising potential are concepts and leadership challenges that I've enjoyed thinking about, these ideas of Mrs Lichterman's are adding another dimension to the development of my thinking. I am grateful to her for that beyond the hope she instilled in us and the conversation I enjoyed with my fellow Maties on the way back home last Tuesday night.

Something that I just heard via my colleague Greg Ricks is a quote from Rosa Parks. “Your destiny is a collection of choices you make.” I totally agree with this. What needs to be paired with this statement are questions of how we make choices. Are we informed? Are we compassionate? Are we careful yet courageous? Are we willing to challenge our own mind sets and opinions? One of the first things my lecturers said to our class at the start of the academic year is to be critical about what you believe, and to believe what you are critical about. Staying true to this – throw that challenge out at the world!

I am enrolled for 8 modules at the Sustainability Institute this year, one of which ran this past week. The module is called Food Security and Globalised Agriculture and I returned to the normal rhythm of life after Saturday’s class finished in quite an ambivalent frame of mind. (Yes, my cool course includes class on Saturday mornings.) On the one hand I think I might have found my thesis topic, which I am most excited about, and on the other hand, I am faced with all kinds of new questions on life and how I live with nature. One of these questions is about my diet: specifically related to my meat-eating habits. I have been concerned about global protein intake for a few years, having spent 2011 as a dedicated weekday vegetarian and since cutting my meat intake significantly. Now I am considering vegetarianism again, although I know the methods of putting fruits, vegetables and other sources of nutrition on one's table are also less than ethical and sustainable to some degree.

Some other themes I am investigating further include mother and child nutrition, small-scale farmers, genetically engineered food and the traps we as consumers fall into, and global governance of food systems. In terms of my potential thesis topic: I am looking for a topic that has a definite economic component to it. I like transdisciplinarity and complexity theory as lenses of study, and so last week I finally found a topic that resonated with a few of the criteria I subconsciously set for identifying a thesis topic. In lectures by Scott Drimie and Lisanne du Plessis, both involved with the Southern African Food Lab, the concept of “First 1000 days” of human nutrition were particularly interesting. They stated that malnutrition during this period (conception to 2^nd birthday) often leads to stunting. This includes physiological and cognitive stunting, of which the latter has particularly long-term, irreversible effects on a person. If a person’s brain does not develop optimally, it leads to cognitive problems. Years after malnutrition, this person would not be mentally as able as an individual whose brain developed optimally, and therefore his or her ability to contribute to society and particularly to the economy will be lower than ideal. This first 1000 day nutritional deficit has been projected to impact on economic growth by 2-3% GDP growth annually. When I heard this, I knew this was a topic I could investigate further for my thesis!

At school I loved literature, intrigued by intertextual referencing. I think the connections that form in our brains are fascinating. Just as I recognised Shakespeare’s Portia in Merchant of Venice in Opperman’s Periandros van Korinte female lead Melissa, so we recognised links between seemingly unrelated bits of knowledge in our minds. Sometimes these connections form whilst asleep, and we wake up with logical explanations or steps to follow fully formed, and other times we formulate connections during conversations, or as I do sometimes, mid-sentence. I look for opportunities to form new connections, and curiosity really is the best tool to realise this. Where it plays out can be in watching TED talks, reading storybooks, academic texts, chatting informally or discussing serious challenges to nation building. The important thing, to me, is a willingness to engage with the unknown, to embrace stories and to enable yourself to experience novelty through behaviour. The individual’s role is important, especially once a certain degree of exposure and access to information is reached. Maybe this is the privileged me speaking. I am still looking to create more sensible connections between access and learning.

I struggle to write this blog post. Deciding what is relevant and how to phrase this madness in my head is not an easy task on this lovely Sunday afternoon. Stellenbosch Mountain sit in front of me, beckoning me to its peaks. Time for hiking is a commodity I lack at present. We agreed yesterday on the way back from the Skills Centre that we are seeing each other in the team more often than our best friends. Yet I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing (sorry buddies). We are a new team, we are developing relationships that I think will last a long time. Looking at the SAWIP alumni, we might just end up in business or social entrepreneurship projects together. Another positive thing about spending time together is that we’re learning how to help each other “cope” as we best know the impact of SAWIP on our lives.

The impact of SAWIP is not just on our schedules. It’s moulding my thoughts and influencing the themes that keep my thoughts busy. My work for my university in multicultural education and leadership development some nights keep me up until all hours of the night, scribbling away in my journal and thinking about all kinds of things. And now SAWIP is adding to what I think and dream about. The concept of empowerment is one I have been engaged with for a while. What is it, how do we think about it, how do we empower? What is the role of words? Is enabling not rather a better one? Should we not all spend some time studying philosophy of language?

Perhaps the issue that made the biggest impression on me at yesterday’s visit to the Graham and Rhona Beck Skills Centre was the barriers that the National Qualifications Framework have in changing the profile of our nation’s skills base. We know the links between education and economic growth, education and poverty, education and human well-being, etc. How is it possible that people cannot gain qualifications due to the NQF assessment requirements? Are the rural poor, the unskilled of South Africa, not those that should be empowered? I don’t know a lot on this subject, but it feels to me that it is something that needs urgent attention. I thought I knew what I was passionate about before SAWIP, seems that new things are adding to the list. This holds interesting implications for the future – and questions about what I choose to act on most decisively. Although I value a holistic, transdisciplinary approach to life, I value also doing a good job, which sometimes means choosing your battles carefully. What do we choose to fight for or against?

This brings me to another highlight of this past week. On Friday morning I, along with some fellow Stellenbosch students, went to Cape Town. The reason for our early morning trek to the Mother City in heavy traffic was a very special one. We had the opportunity to attend a service lead by the Archbishop Desmond Tutu in St Georges Cathedral. Receiving the Eucharist from this great man was simply fantastic. I have deep spiritual connections with this man, obviously unbeknownst to him, but that’s a story for another day. After the service we went to a nearby coffee shop for a breakfast of coffee and a muffin each, and the Arch joined us! A great man. He made a comment that links well with the questions of what we choose to do as individuals. He said it is so much more difficult to fight for something today, in comparison to the struggle against Apartheid. Not that The Struggle was easy, but he meant that being for something is a great challenge. Tutu has been quoted to say that in the search for peace you talk to your enemies rather than your friends. Now, in “peace”, the challenge I (and many others) see in government is that the people that need to be challenged are friends. This is the context in which Trevor Manuel spoke out against the continued blame place on Apartheid. How do we navigate a young democracy and how do I, a young South African, choose what the role is I wish to play? Another of Tutu’s quotes seems sensible here:

Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

Journaling is something I enjoy. Since the beginning of the year I have had to journal my learning experiences at the Sustainability Institute, and so the idea of blogging regularly for SAWIP feels quite normal. This is my first post.

My SAWIP journey started two years ago already. A friend of mine, Melvyn Lubega, a SAWIP alumnus, encouraged me to apply in 2011. I downloaded the application form less than 24 hours before the cut-off for submission, and felt that I couldn’t do the questions or myself justice by hastily answering the questions. So, last year I didn’t apply due to academic commitments, but since that day in 2011 I have been looking at the questions and some of the answers on my form this year I wrote many months ago already. 2013 is my year for SAWIP and it’s really exciting!

What I’ve experienced so far has been great. The selection camp left me inspired and humbled by my fellow South Africans’ stories. It was a strange experience too, being under the magnifying lens in front of alumni, the management team and members of the board. I survived. My phone was stolen at the camp grounds, so I was really happy that the SIM swop was completed in time for me to receive Kim’s phone call. Then things started rolling. I was expecting the intensity of the orientation camp at the selection camp already, so I was prepared for it and enjoyed the challenges thrown in our direction during the camp. The SAWIP team has quickly become a space in which I can test my hypotheses and theories and the feedback I’ve been getting is refreshing.

Things really started rolling when I studied the programme of the next six months. It’s a taxing programme, but so worth it. We’ve had three curriculum sessions so far. They have been interesting. The content was of a high standard and stimulating, especially for the community interaction and political history (so powerful on Freedom Day) sessions. Looking forward to the Graham and Rhona Beck Foundation's Skills Centre in Robertson, which we are visiting this coming Saturday.

I look forward to the weeks ahead before our departure to DC. We’re a good bunch, the team, and we’ve got lots of stories and expertise to share internally and to the communities we represent. I think our team philosophy so far resonates with the words of Henry David Thoreau: "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."