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May 25, 2005
 Today
was a very special day. We visited CIDA City Campus
in downtown Johannesburg. I had heard about the small
university in South Africa to which talk show host
Oprah Winfrey has donated money and was very committed
to—but only after today’s visit did I
fully understand the meaning of such a decision and
commitment.
CIDA
is a high-quality, low-cost, holistic, relevant, cutting-edge
model in higher education. Founded in 1999 in South
Africa, CIDA is a “free” registered and
accredited private college—the only one of its
kind in this country.
In
the context of the new South Africa, there is much
complaint about a dual economy where people in the
second economy do not have access to several opportunities—starting
with education. Eleven years after the end of apartheid,
South Africa struggles with converting its second
economy—one dominated by South Africans selling
candies and car washes on the roadside—into
the first one. South Africa’s challenges are
fostering a middle class, reducing the gaps between
rich and poor, and decreasing its racial divide.
But
how can there be development without education? According
to the World Bank, education is a major factor in
development. It allows the creation of a middle class
that can constantly improve its skills and seize opportunities.
Such a middle class is also the foundation of entrepreneurship,
which is another backbone of development.
CIDA
City Campus puts itself at the forefront in the fight
for access to education. Using an innovative educational
approach, students attend classes during the week
and attend remedial classes on Saturdays, CIDA ‘saves’
more than 1,000 young men and women. I say ‘save’
because most of these young children of Africa are
selected from their village or poor rural communities
and given a chance to shine and lead the world. They
are given a chance to prove themselves. The program
is free of charge to them because CIDA finds money
for them regardless of their financial situation.
The final cost for the four-year program is $1,200,
including tuition and textbooks. Also, CIDA has a
comprehensive program in which students are required
to train their home-communities and have an impact
on their social environment by improving their people’s
lives and finding solutions to their problems.
The
CIDA initiative has everything it takes to heal the
problems of South Africa and, moreover, I believe
it could be a model for the rest of Africa. Education
is all we have and all we can pass on to our children
on the continent. As more of them have access to education
and understand the meaning of leadership and community-service,
we can guarantee the success of Africa ….
It
will never be said enough that Africa has all the
necessary resources to be a world leader economically
and culturally. If Africa’s respective governments
push for extensive educational programs adapted to
the needs of the respective states, then Africans
can support each other and achieve development through
the creation of a real middle class.
The
kids I saw today were full of love and energy. They
believe in CIDA, and so do I. CIDA City Campus gave
them a home, an alternative to either not going to
college at all or selling goods on the street. But,
more importantly, it’s given them hope that
they can build their communities.
The
young men and women I met today really believe in
the new South Africa and the role it can play in a
future great Africa. Together, we can make the world
a better place. However, we must make a choice. Do
we opt for unilateral progress or do we go for global
unity?
Today
was an even more special day because it was Africa
Day. This year's Africa Day celebrates the 42nd anniversary
of the establishment of the African Union's (AU) predecessor,
the Organization of Africa Unity (OAU), back in 1963
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is a day to celebrate
the birth of the African Union and a time to assess
Africa’s development goals.
Forever,
I will have an unconditional love for Africa and,
yes, I believe in Africa. I believe that if all Africa
and its diaspora come together, we can teach the world
a great lesson: a lesson of forgiveness, a lesson
of love, peace and hope for the world and life as
a whole.
I dedicate this journal to my father Famara Ibrahima
Sagna. He taught me the urgency of servant leadership
for our people. He will forever be a model to me.
Almamy
Sagna '06 is a business administration major from
Dakar, Senegal.
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