This is my last blog post as a member of the SAWIP Class of 2012 before we graduate. Undoubtedly, this journey has been one of the most rewarding, and challenging seasons of my life to date. Below is a letter to you, the readers of our blog posts, about closing remarks as I would write in my personal manuscript – my diary entry I guess.

Dear friends and future friends of SAWIP

Understanding you, understanding me

I carry a SAWIP legacy with me. It is uneasy for me to really explain what that means. A lot of it has to do with understanding the next person, situation, and it has to do with understanding myself. Much of this year, and to a large extent my tertiary training has been about courageous conversations and exploring my intellectual imagination. When I try to explain to someone what SAWIP is and what it is to me for the first time, I almost always speak about how it has broadened my world. I am now able to see things in many, different lights. Honestly! I now better understand that with many (if not all) issues, are many facets to assess. There are amongst others cultural, environmental, legal, philosophical, political, psychological, religious, spiritual, scientific, and a whole lot more schools of thought to be evaluated in any given situation. I value that. It’s opened up my world – enlightened it.

Growing pains

During this season of my life, I have been faced with many frustrations, with and for various reasons. Perhaps indirectly, but I have reflected on some of these growing pains in previous blog posts. It has all been worth it. It’s made me more resilient. The growing pains that I have experienced have allowed me to an extent, identify - and I trust will help me fulfil my life’s purpose as it unfolds.

Time management and sacrifice

Managing my time while respecting other people’s time has been a real learning curve. From the very beginning of our SAWIP journey, we were urged to be punctual. We were told that arriving on time meant that we had to arrive earlier than the said time. That means that arriving on the hour of the clock was considered as late. I took this to heart. My father instilled this very principle in me. This principle also largely has to do with meeting the specific, measureable, and time- oriented goals that I make for myself. Maintaining good time management has key elements of sacrifice and accountability. Although I do not always get it right, time management is a principle I strive towards.

I recall a number of times when I had to decline an invitation for a gathering of sorts from friends due to a prior SAWIP engagement. Our SAWIP year, or six month experience to be more precise, was mapped out all in advance. Inasmuch as times, dates and the program occasionally changed, we were all informed of what, where and when, in advance. Of course, we needed to allow for some flexibility when plans did not go precisely as we would have liked. During these times, I thought back to a by quote that is on my vision board by Charles Darwin. The quote reads:

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”

Still on time management and sacrifice, and in line with the above quote, I remember receiving valuable insight from a mother. This memory is from a conversation I had with a lady from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – Head Quarters where I was a SAWIP summer intern in Washington D.C. The young mother told me that you really only learn and understand what time management and sacrifice is when you become a parent.

Beautiful surprises

Pleasant surprises are beautiful. Over the past six months I have been very deliberate in giving thanks to my life experiences. There have been mundanely palatable occurrences to extraordinary events shared with exceptional individuals. It goes without mention that my SAWIP family (viz. teammates, management and executive teams, DC host fam and IFC colleagues), home family and dearest friends have been part of this experience.

One particular personal example of a cherished beautiful surprise that I experienced was at the IFC. I met a man called Mr Panda who worked at the front desk. We often spoke about jazz and poetry. During my last week at the IFC, I went to go look for Mr Panda to say goodbye. Later that week, I found him in my office about to leave a piece of paper on my desk. It was a poem entitled “Goodbye Makhosazana.”

With that, I give thanks to all the individuals who have been key role players directly and indirectly in my experience as a team member of the SAWIP Class of 2012. It has been real, a real positively life changing experience.

Sincerely

Makhosazana

PS. A toast to visionary and servant leadership that espouses unity and loving kindness!

PPS. A haiku:

valleys grow mountains

journeys are remarkable

SAWIP, I thank you

Self-motivation is an imperative skill in personal growth and development. At various points in our lives, we encounter personal hardships that make us feel unwell. Life can be very difficult during what I call pruning seasons. (Pruning in this instance does not refer to the agricultural practice of selectively removing parts of a plant, but rather, it refers to the seasons in our lives when we undergo changes that leave us feeling like something is missing or has been taken away from us).These seasons vary in length, and are often intense. They require us to practice great resilience and maintain a positive attitude.

I recently came across a TED talk by Neil Pasricha who needed to put in major effort in motivating himself during a pruning season in his life. In his talk, Neil outlines the keys to a satisfying life, he refers to them as the Three A's of Awesome viz; Attitude, Awareness, and Authenticity. I highly encourage that you listen to his story. To prompt you to watching the TED video, here is what Neil briefly says about the Three A’s of Awesome:

Attitude
When bad news hits, you always have two choices:

1. "You can swirl and twirl in gloom and doom forever, or,

2. You can grieve and then face the future with newly sober eyes."

You can choose to move forward and move on, taking baby steps into the future.

Awareness
Appreciate the small wonders around you, as if you're seeing the world for the first time. Embrace your inner three-year-old, remembering that you saw everything you've seen for the first time too.

Authenticity
Be true to yourself. It's about "being you and being cool with that." When you're authentic, you put yourself in places, situations, and conversations that you love and that you enjoy.

I grew up in Soweto, a township in the big city of gold - Johannesburg, and yet I have found another home in being in the countryside. I have spent the past few years studying in Stellenbosch, the heart of the South African wine lands. It is this environment and many encounters in Stellenbosch and the Western Cape Province (as I have experienced them) that have grown me in great devotion towards farming, and in particular agriculture.

While in Washington D.C., I had the opportunity to visit two family-owned farms in Montgomery County, Maryland. Thamsanqa, Tembanin, my SAWIP teammate, invited me to join him and Michele Rivard, his internship supervisor from the United States African Development Foundation (USADF).

We first visited Homestead Farm, a pick-your-own fruit and vegetable farm owned by the Allnutt family who have been farming on the land since 1763. Although we arrived unannounced, we were warmly received by the family. Ben Allnutt, the farm manager, took us on a tour of the farm. I felt at home enquiring about the soils, irrigation systems and general agricultural practices. On the day of our visit, we handpicked blackberries and yellow and white peaches as they were in season.

Our welcome into Homestead Farm on a scorching Saturday morning

Listening to Ben explain his irrigation system

Fresh from the cob. Definitely the sweetest sweet corn I had ever tasted

Blackberries for sale

The second farm we visited was a dairy farm called South Mountain Creamery. It is owned by the Sowers' family and they have been on the farm since 1981. In addition to the eventful day-to-day dairy farming activities, the farm prides itself in producing, processing and distributing operations. Since 2001, their farming business has grown into South Mountain Creamery being Maryland's first on-site milk processing plant. Today, they not only rear dairy cows, process and bottle milk, but they also deliver milk (and other dairy products) directly to homes in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Concerning the future of the farm, the Sowers' believe in being a self-sustainable company. Among the many projects, they are working on installing a bio-diesel (conversion of soybeans to bio-fuel) plant.

A South Mountain Creamery delivery truck

Karen showing us the cowshed

Thamsanqa getting ready to feed the calves

Most of the calves were tyrants when we fed them. Thankfully, this little fellow was pleasant

I found both farm visits refreshing. I think that Homestead Farm's business model is a novel way of getting people to appreciate the source of their food. Although I understand that our South African agricultural is different, the idea of visiting a farm to pick my own fruit and vegetables is delightful. I was also inspired by the story of how the Sowers' started, grew, keep learning and sharing. I am impressed to see their tireless efforts also being harnessed into green energy. I believe that there is a promising future in adopting modern technologies in agriculture.

Thamsanqa and I with Ben Allnutt at Homestead Farm

Michele, Karen Sowers, Thamsanqa and I at South Mountain Creamery

I give thanks to Ben Allnut of Homestead Farm and Karen Sowers of South Mountain Creamery for allowing Michele, Thamsanqa and I to feel and be at home on their farms. It was a great pleasure.

We are back home safely in South Africa. My experiences in Washington D.C., were beyond amazing. I cannot think of a single appropriate adjective in my dictionary that I would not use to describe my DC experiences. It was that fantastic, and more! Now that we are back on home ground, I will be able to reflect in depth about the past few weeks. This post-DC reflection is a re-telling of the last night in DC. I almost thought that I was lost, again...

We had our farewell reception on Friday evening. Shortly after midnight while at a place called My Brother’s Place for our farewell after party, I decided that I had to go home since I wanted to be up early to pack and run a few errands on Saturday morning. My host sister, Molly, and I checked the bus times on her cell phone, I said goodbye and left with a few people going to the Metro (train) Station, although we were all going to different directions.

I got off at Dupont Circle Metro Station, and must have waited at the bus stop for over half an hour. Just as I was about to return to the subway, a group of youth walked my way to join me in waiting for the bus. I asked if they could please check at what time we could expect the next bus. The web results returned with the news that there were “no [bus time] predictions” until 6am. I immediately thanked them and went back on the Metro Station to the Tenleytown AU stop. Upon arrival, I found it pouring with rain. I boarded a shuttle, homeward bound. As soon as I spotted Nebraska Ave and Ward Circle through the misty glass windows, I got off the bus at the next stop. I must have really been deep in thought because I got off at the wrong bus stop, although, I did not realise this immediately. It was only after walking a few, brief steps that I saw, read, and heard (as if I could hear the Metro Bus voice saying) Westover Place. I was thoroughly irritated with myself, although I managed a slight giggle. This time round, I wasn’t lost, entirely. I knew at least two routes to get me home. I kept walking while trying to text and holding up my umbrella to prevent the rain from making me feel damper. I tried hailing down two taxi’s, but neither stopped.

I had $ 0.59 remaining credit on my cell phone. This meant that I could send text messages, but not make outgoing phone calls. In-between texting Molly to inform her that I was still not home, almost 2 hours after leaving our farewell party, and asking her to call me back, I learnt that Molly could not get through to me because of the low credit on my phone. This meant that I could only send and receive text messages. However, I could not make nor receive phone calls. I felt so embarrassed. Fortunately, I made friends along the way. I introduced myself to Travis and Shatavari who were walking a few feet behind me. I was honest about my situation and asked if I could use one of their phones to call a taxi. They kindly agreed. During my call to the taxi operating centre, the operator asked me for my name. Now, on any other day, I would have slowly said Makhosazana and if the need arose, repeated my name by clearly enunciating my name in its five syllables as Ma-kho-sa-za-na. However, considering the time of day, and the fact that it was not my cell phone bill I was running up, I told the lady on the line that I am Khosi, a shortened version of my name. Within 5 minutes, a taxi came to pick me up.

A man named Adam from Ethiopia drove me home. After exchanging greetings and deciding on a route home, he gave me a word of caution. He had tried reaching me on my cell phone before he found me at my said location. Since I was unable to receive incoming calls, he was unable to reach me. I know that I was at fault. I apologised. I was happy when we turned into my DC home street.

I have retold this story several times. I have been laughed at and even called a moemish (moomish/mumish – subject to spelling preferences) by my dear SAWIPers. There are plentiful DC experiences that we will share on and reflect on for years to come. Ironically, this feeling of being lost, is one that I am currently carrying with me. I am back to what has been familiar to me for the greatest part of my life. And yet, I cannot help but feel somewhat displaced, somewhat lost. It’s uneasy for me to say exactly what this lost feeling is about right now. I am certain that with time, thought and work, I’ll figure it out. I will feel re-positioned and ready to steer on. Although, I may need to change direction and that may lead to me getting lost, again. Still, I am hopeful that this journey forth will find me and bring me back home, home to serve and to serve well.

I have had the pleasure of being a summer associate at the International Finance Corporation Head Quarters (IFC-HQ) over the past month. I worked as part of a young, dynamic team part of the private sector window of the Global Agriculture & Food Security Program (GAFSP).

During my stay, I attended the IFC summer internship program welcoming and orientation workshop. And it is here that I began to receive a greater understanding of the IFC and it’s role as part of the World Bank Group. The IFC’s values are fittingly found in and lived through the word excited, whereby, EXCITED is an acronym for:

EX – Excellence C – Commitment I – Integrity TE – TEamwork and D – Diversity

Although the time I spent learning with and from the GAFSP team was short, I loved it. A great big thank you to Laura, Alex, Juan and Yoshi for their invaluable time and. I feel enriched having known you. And yes, also very excited about this journey forward.

While there are a number of systems that I have come to appreciate about the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the accessibility to public transportation by people with physical disabilities is one that I hope to see being developed in many other countries, including my own. Below are some photographs and brief commentary on how people with disabilities are being empowered to independently navigate the city.

Photo 1: Tactile paving is a form of detectable warning surface commonly found near pedestrian crossings, staircases and train station platforms to guide blind and visually impaired pedestrians. This system was first introduced in Japan. Today, countries that also make use of this system include Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Photo 2: New Metro buses have low floor ramps that allow for ease of access into and out of Metro buses. In the event of a hydraulic system failure, provision has been made to allow the lowering of the floor bus to be performed manually. In addition, inside the bus is a specially designated area for wheelchair securement with safety belts.

Photo 3: Public and office building restrooms cater for ease of access to people with disabilities.

We often hear of the notion of how people have “made it.” This view of having “made it” refers to that of success. However, we seldom hear of how, when and why people do not succeed (or rather, why they fail) in their endeavours. During a leadership dinner hosted by SAWIP board member Karin Strydom, we addressed this issue.

Harvey Floyd, from the Center for Creative Leadership, raised the concern on how industry leaders are openly willing to share in their success stories, yet seldom candidly admit their failures. In response to this issue, Renosi Mokate, an executive board director of the World Bank, shared a story in which she acknowledged a letdown. After matriculating top of her class, her parents encouraged her to complete her A-levels because they felt that she was too young to immediately begin her university career. Since she did not particularly want to do her A-levels, this resulted in her not performing very well in her A-level studies. Based on this admitted failure, she had a different mindset and approach when she started her university career. Moreover, in a way of claiming back her potential, she graduated top of her class with her undergraduate degree.

Sharing life experiences and lessons of successes and failures can be an effective tool of mentoring. Whether the outcome of an endeavour results in success or failure depends on the sequence of events following the first step. Often times, this initial step involves a measure of risk. Similarly to the board game of Monopoly that I grew up playing, taking chances may cause uncertainty driven by fear. However, the fear of failure should not be a limitation for taking steps to fulfilling our dreams. Instead, when we recognize our shortfalls, we should take steps to counter them by admitting our imperfections, re-assessing the situation and taking steps to make improvements, and thereby learning through the changes.

On 10 July 2012, the SAWIP Class of 2012 had the opportunity of meeting with Congressman John Robert Lewis to engage in his first-hand account on the US Civil Rights Movement. Following his arrival into his office, our natural inclination was to rise and greet him. However, he insisted that we remain seated. Still, we rose to welcome him and to show pay him tribute. He walked around the room and greeted us all, individually, with a handshake. What was most significant about his personal greeting with each of us was that he made eye contact while welcoming us in person with a handshake.

During our interaction with Congressman Lewis, and in hearing him share his life experiences, I caught myself silently shedding tears. In knowing myself, I am not easily moved to tears, and so this feeling annoyingly surprised me. However, I allowed myself to embrace the moment and emotions. I continued to listen, humbled and in tears.

It is uneasy for me to identify exactly why I was moved to tears during this particular gathering. I accept that. I recognize that too often we (as human beings) wear masks pretending to and not to feel. Within society, showing tears is sometimes seen as a social flaw. Now, whether this is a sign of weakness, or not, I am not concerned because of the likely complexities involved in our personal stories. Congressman Lewis shared an account when he was moved to tears and I found it refreshing on how that symbolized the notion of conquering through the words “we shall overcome.”

I had the honour of making the opening and closing remarks during our (SAWIP) inaugural public conference on 26 June 2012 in Washington, DC. This is how the evening session unfolded.

Good evening

... to greet you with merely a “good evening” now seems as an anti-climax after an afternoon that inspired me to want to greet you all with a traditional ululation.

[The audience ardently joined me with the ululation]

I am Makhosazana Sika. I was raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, in Soweto to be more specific, in an area called Zola. I am a member of the SAWIP Class of 2012 and feel honoured to be here this evening.

Opening remarks

We had wonderful speakers this afternoon - a great big thank you to all of them. On behalf of SAWIP, I would like to in particular thank South Africa’s ambassador to the US, Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, for his participation earlier this afternoon, and for spending the evening with us as well.

For tonight’s proceedings, our discussion will be a focus on the life and legacy of our former president Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. The most significant inspiration about the life and legacy that uTata Mandela has for me is about hope and dreaming. In his autobiography entitled Long Walk to Freedom (Little, Brown and Company), Nelson Mandela writes:

“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward.

There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”

Those words speak volumes to me. There have been a few times in my life that had I given up, that would have resulted in me feeling disempowered and insecure about my own future. As a message to us all, and in particular to the youth, I believe that uTata Mandela’s words are those of being hopeful and having the ability to dream about an improved nation with empowered people.

At this point, I would like to share a brief story about myself. In 2006, I left home at the age of 17 to go and further my education at the University of Stellenbosch. I grew up in a township, so the notion of going all the way to what you may refer to as the “country-side” in Stellenbosch to pursue a degree in the agricultural industry was not a popular one. However, I was adamant about it.

During my first year, I soon learned that perhaps studying at a university closer to home and closer to what I knew and understood of the world would have been easier. I recall being intimidated when we were told as first years that 60% of us would not make it to the second year of university. Still, I stayed, because I knew why I had come to university. I had and still do have great future hopes.

I believe that education is an investment; it is a gift that keeps on giving.

Vote of thanks

I would like to thank all of our forum participants for their thought-provoking and action-inspiring discourse. Your words have again reminded us of the magnitude that the life and legacy of uTata Mandela embodies.

A big thank you to the Woodrow Wilson Centre for partnering with us [SAWIP] to make this event happen. In particular, a very special thank you to Steve McDonald, Mame Khady Diouf, Derek Langford and Sheila Sengupta. Also, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the SAWIP team that worked diligently in making this fundraiser event a great success. In particular, thank you to our SAWIP executive director Claire Shoolin; Kim Williams, our SAWIP program manager; and the SAWIP interns: Dinika Govender, Thuli Montana, Molly Sandza, Afua Sarpong and Skye Kussman.

On behalf of the SAWIP Class of 2012, I invite you all to our reception where you will be treated to South African food and wine, as well as a live performance by Washington, DC’s extraordinary jazz vocalist, Akua Allrich. Please join us across the hall and enjoy the rest of the evening!

Thank you

It was on June 16, 1858, when Abraham Lincoln delivered his well-known House Divided speech while accepting the Republican nomination for the US Senate in Springfield, Illinois. In his speech, Lincoln said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” As we commemorate June 16, 1976, may we as the youth of 2012 work together to build and grow a prosperous South Africa. As the emerging leaders of our country, may we collectively work in unity to raise an inspired generation of outstanding leadership that brings positive change to our current challenges. In remembrance of the Soweto Uprisings of 1976, the SAWIP Class of 2012 will hear from and share with Mr Ebrahim Rasool, South Africa’s ambassador to the United States. I trust that this, and many of our other experiences in South Africa, Washington DC and beyond, will further encourage our class and our peers to continue standing together to ensure that our country be no longer be divided.

It is common to find quarterly, mid-year and annual reports. However, since our set SAWIP leadership development curriculum is 6 months long, such reports will not form part of this “norm.” Instead, this blog post will form part of three reflective entries on where #sawip2012 is. And of course, there will be three entries based on the 3 phases that our curriculum is divided into and not because of my personal bias towards the number three.

As the SAWIP Class of 2012, we have been together for a little over 2 months now. This means that based on our curriculum, we are one-third of the leg closer to the end of this journey. And yet, two-thirds closer to the beginning of the work that I trust we will continue doing as SAWIP alumni. At this point, the 33 % mark if I may, I feel that it is important that we each critically assess where we are as individuals and as a team. I know that so far, we, as the SAWIP Class of 2012, have grown to know and love each other as more than just teammates, but as friends. We are way beyond tolerance. We now know each other well enough to appreciate and accept each other as we are. And I hope that this feeling is mutual.

Tis true that #sawip2012 is here. (Note: The hashtag (#) preceding sawip2012 is the current twitter metadata tag that we use for our team discourse). Currently, we are working as best as we can wrapping up this semester with exams, laboratory experiments, research assignment submissions and the like before we depart for Washington DC for phase 2 of our SAWIP experience. The excitement among is incredibly dense. Amongst other things, to keep focused I reflect on Kahlil Gibran’s message from the book The Prophet where he writes, “yesterday is but today’s memory and tomorrow is today’s dream.” And with that dream, #sawip2012 will help carry the beacon of hope that embodies our nation, our pride, our South Africa.

I have found myself being lost. Several times, I have been lost, and have come to find myself. As ambiguous as this is, it has been and is my story. On one hand, I have been lost due to losing direction on my way to a particular destination. While on the other hand, I have also been lost because I simply did not comprehend some or other concept, event, or situation. What holds true about being lost, is that through every encounter, I have found myself. Serendipitously, in one way or another, I have come to discover lessons that have steered me in a specific direction.

I recall being in unplanned, unfamiliar territory, and therefore lost, with company and on my own. During the times that I have been lost with a friend or two, I have always found comfort in knowing that I am not alone. Having someone with me to share in my fears and sense of adventure made the journey of finding the destination less daunting.

My recent trip to the US Consulate for my VISA application proved no different to me being lost. I had prepared as best as I could. However, I got lost along the way. I made several wrong turns. I drove around in circles. And pulled up on more than one occasion to call a friend or ask a fuel attendant to help me find direction, to safely reach my destination. During this time of frantic panic because I was lost, late and thirsty, I had to stop myself to remind myself that I would get to where I needed to go. I had to stay calm. Yes, I was running late. And I knew that there was nothing I could do then to change that. However, what was most important was my safe arrival. At this stage, time became irrelevant. I came to that realisation when I knew that panic would get me nowhere. I had to claim back my composure. The urgency of my situation, the thoughts I had racing in my mind and the vehicles around me, all had me so fixated on being lost, that I had to force myself into a mind shift. I knew that inasmuch as I could and did receive help from friends and friendly strangers, I had to navigate myself to where I needed to go. I had to be self-reliant. No one was going to rescue me. I had, in a sense, and in the words of American essayist, poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau:

“[I] went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived.”

I recall declaring to my friend Lungelwa that I actually enjoy being lost. I enjoy the journey and lessons that come with self-discovery. I have been told, and I am learning, that one of the best things about being in your twenties is finding oneself. I believe that spending time alone is key to knowing your true self. Solitude allows us to initially stop, then re-search and re-direct.

As we continue with our daily discoveries, may we remember to ever so often STOP. May we be courageous to reassess our directions and ponder on the following:

to STOP is to Sit Think Observe Plan

The community service project that I am currently involved in is an after school program that caters for children between the ages of 6 and 15. Upon arrival of the children at the aftercare centre, we provide them with an afternoon snack. On most days, a sandwich and juice is offered. Recently, the program’s chief co-ordinator asked me to arrive earlier than usual because a company was sponsoring pizza for the children that afternoon and needed me to receive the delivery.

When the children arrived and learnt of the pizza surprise, they were thoroughly pleased. Initially, they were under the impression that they would each receive their own box of medium-sized pizzas. Soon after I dispelled their misconception, I gave them their food and they ate it. And ate it rather quickly. Before I knew it, they were asking for more and more food. Instinct told me that it could not necessarily all be hunger. However, I gave a slice or two more to some of the children. Soon thereafter, I saw the slices of pizza stealthily being placed in their empty lunch boxes. Now I wondered whether this was because they wanted to take some pizza home to share, or whether they were really that hungry that afternoon. Observing this made me feel melancholic.

It made me think back to a book called Half a Yellow Sun (Harper Collins Publishers) by award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The excerpt below is about the protagonist Ugwu, a young boy who is employed as a houseboy for a university professor.

“Ugwu entered the kitchen cautiously, placing one foot slowly after the other. When he saw the white thing, almost as tall as he was, he knew it was the fridge. His aunty had told him about it. A cold barn, she had said, that kept food from going bad. He opened it and gasped as the cool air rushed into his face. Oranges, bread, beer, soft drinks: many things in packets and cans were arranged on different levels and, and on the topmost, a roasted shimmering chicken, whole but for a leg. Ugwu reached out and touched the chicken. The fridge breathed heavily in his ears. He touched the chicken again and licked his finger before he yanked the other leg off, eating it until he had only cracked, sucked pieces of bones left in his hand. Next, he broke off some bread, a chunk that he would have been excited to share with his siblings if a relative had visited and brought it as a gift. He ate quickly, before Master could come in and change his mind.”

Ugwu is a child. Similarly to the children I care for, I understand that receiving a delicious treat is savoured.

However, I was given unpleasant stares and comments when I started refusing to give the children more pizza because I thought that they had had enough to eat. When I asked them questions to try reason with them about my refusal for giving them more food, I received the cold shoulder. As a way of telling me that they were irritated with me, and perhaps in the hope that I would give into their demands, some of the children answered “pizza” to every question that I asked.

At this point, one of the older children had told me that the food is theirs. I had no right to keep it from them. And rightfully so, I agreed. However, only partially. As the only adult with them at the time, it was my decision that having had x number of slices of pizza was sufficient. Just because there was a surplus of food for that afternoon, did not mean that it all needed to be eaten that day. It could be stored in the fridge or freezer for another day. There would be more food, more pizza another day.

This experience has me thinking about the state of mind of people who demand that they have the prerogative for certain possessions. Some writers refer to this as the “entitlement mentality.” This mentality is common in our society whereby people need/want things because they believe it to be theirs. Of course, this is not to say that people are undeserving of certain possessions. Employed people may deserve higher remuneration, while unemployed people may look to their state government for financial assistance. I am in no way speaking against the basic rights and access to rights that people deserve. I am though referring to the state of mind whereby people claim that you owe them for reasons justifiable to them. For example, without knowing your personal struggles, or story, people may demand to have your possessions because to them, there is more where that came from. I think that the current status quo of this entitlement mentality is a detriment to our society. The alarmingly high crime statistics in our country is one sign of this detriment. It is my hope that as a people, we will change this mentality through our actions. I believe that we need to work together by taking both personal and collective responsibility, care and pride to adjust the current disposition of the entitlement mentality to a positive one.

Sometimes words escape me. It seems as if I cannot find the words to best explain my thoughts, ideas and feelings. I am fortunate to have found poetry. It is my outlet to try make sense of it all. Below is my first SAWIP poem, it was inspired by nature and people.

Worker ants as active citizens

Everyone stares at the big elephant in the room

They know that it cannot be moved single-handedly

The task seems overwhelmingly insurmountable

Clouds of uncertainty should not cast a shadow of doubt

The elephant is not a mountain; therefore, it can be moved

The vision is clear

Plans are made and a model is developed

A strategy is in place

Seasons change. It has always been a dynamic equilibrium

Elastic flexibility in the master plan was in place

Autumn winds and frostbite winter

Arab Spring and summer harvests

The silence is breaking

(I fail to understand why is was golden)

We are recruiting for worker ants

We are in the business of fostering symbiotic relationships

We will eat the elephant one bite at a time

Rumour has it it’s the best way to right the wrongs

Slowly, surely, trusting worker ants get to work

Together everyone accomplishes more

There are certain choices that I have made in my life that when I think back to have sincerely been life changing. In retrospect, the process of making these decisions stirred all sorts of emotions within me. They caused me to feel great excitement for the incredible possibilities that lay ahead, a sense of being overwhelmed and a tad bit of anxiety of the unknown. For all such choices in my life, I have spent some time quietly contemplating the impact that my decisions would have not only on myself, but also on my family, closest friends and communities. One such decision that I made in High School was to continue with my studies to broaden my knowledge, skills and perspective by attending University.

I am a first generation student. This means that I am the first in my nuclear family to attend University. Leaving home to attend University in a small town approximately 18 hours drive away from my family was a difficult, but necessary decision. Although there were adjustments and sacrifices that had to be made, we made the necessary changes to adapt. I am privileged to have a wonderfully supportive family. Throughout my University career, I have been faced with some easy, and at times, less-easy choices. I believe that I have undertaken many decisions with a great sense of caution and careful consideration. I view reflection as an integral element that guides me in major life choices. At the start of 2012, I had to re-assess my life and make decisions accordingly.

The decision to apply for SAWIP is another example of a life changing choice in my life. I was drawn by the level of introspection that was required in completing the application forms. The process allowed me critically think about who I am and where I am growing and going towards. I had to ask myself probing questions to properly assess my state of being. During the SAWIP selection camp, I felt incredibly inspired by the soaring calibre of young leaders in our country. I was particularly encouraged by the personal stories that were shared. As a people, we constantly need to adapt to the challenges that we face in our lives. At times, changes in our lives require some sacrifice and great flexibility. Story telling is a valuable tool that can be used in getting to know people. Through stories, I have learnt of the humble spirit of selflessness that people have. With that, a common trend that I have observed in people is that of an attitude of remaining firmly grounded in their morals and beliefs system. I admire such characteristics.

As part of our SAWIP leadership development curriculum, we have had discussions on matters that have required elements of radical transformation. We spoke of and spoke to active citizens. Individuals like Vicky Ntozini and Vivian Zilo showed personal initiative and courageous commitment to make the necessary changes in their lives to make significant contributions to their communities. The spirit of selflessness and servant leadership that these women have shown to their families and communities inspires me. During our talk with Adv. Keith Matthee, it became apparent just how necessary we need to hold each other accountable on delivering on the promises laid out in Our Constitution.

To the SAWIP Class of 2012, I hope that this journey will continue to inspire us all as we grow through change in respect, in service, in loving kindness and ethical leadership.