In Africa with Oprah
Education, Inspiration & Celebration
By Heba El Awadi
Feb2007

Superstar and legend in her own time, Oprah Winfrey has long been a catalyst in making other peoples’ dreams comes true. As 2006 came to a close, Oprah finally realised a long-held ambition to open a school for underprivileged but truly brilliant girls in Africa. Four awe-inspiring and thought-provoking days of celebration ensued, as well as a time for education, reflection, and of course partying, as only Oprah knows how. The events were overseen by some of the worlds biggest and brightest stars, of course. Egyptian fashion designer Heba Elawadi was invited to this unforgettable event in South Africa to share in the magic. Exclusively for Enigma, she shares her extraordinary experiences…

During the closing hours of 2006, I embarked on an incredible journey to South Africa to celebrate the opening of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.  Oprah is a woman who keeps promises she makes, and this project was a promise she made to President Nelson Mandela back in 2001.  Her vision was to help build a school for girls in South Africa, providing them with a safe environment where they could “live, learn, and be inspired to honour their individual callings, develop excellence, and dwell in possibility.”  In other words, all things Oprah!

As one would expect, Oprah celebrated the occasion with plenty of panache.  She invited 250 close friends to join her in Africa and hosted four days of spectacular events leading up to the Academy’s opening reception.  Oprah’s guest list included a montage of media personalities, actors, singing sensations, and of course her long-time boyfriend, Stedman Graham and her best friend Gayle King. 

Joining myself in the jungle bush were a Who’s Who of the world’s biggest celebrities, including Sidney Poitier, Quincy Jones, Tina Turner, Spike Lee, Chris Rock, Chris Tucker, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Tyler Perry, Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Diane Sawyer, Kenneth (Babyface) Edmonds, Star Jones Reynolds, India Arie, Holly Robinson Peete and local businessman Tokyo Sexwale.

I headed to Sun City with star dust still in my eyes and settled into the five-star Palace Hotel.  Unique novelties awaited all Oprah’s guests in the form of a velvet shoe bag and African woven basket, thoughtfully including the number of hours it took to make it.  Oprah’s appreciations for traditional works of art resonate at the Academy.  Five hundred inspiring South African artists including painters, welders, and sculptors “weaved their talents into the aesthetics of the school.”  Mosaics representing various ethnic groups and plaster impalas grace the walls showcasing the local talent.

After enjoying my gorgeous gifts, I had to prepare for the festivities of the first evening.  It was Gayle King’s birthday and that meant one thing…an amazing night maxed out with singing, dancing, and mingling.  I could’ve danced way into the sizzling jungle eve but we were going on safari the next day.

Safari with Oprah panache had us privately escorted into the wild habitats of exotic animals and then dining in tent chic in the heart of the jungle.  In the spirit of the wild we were served an assortment of fascinating wild game meat.  Is that an ostrich steak on my plate? 

In true campfire style, we sat in a circle as we were told lavish tales about South Africa.  Perhaps it was tales such as these that inspired Oprah to embark on developing 52 acres of desert land into an educational oasis.  This oasis comes complete with a “street of learning” including classrooms, laboratories, a library, a theatre, administrative offices, a gym, and a wellness centre; and a “street of living” with dining halls and dorms.

No doubt Oprah was moved by the hard work and determination displayed by the young girls of South Africa. As she ventured into villages she caught a glimpse of what life is like for them.  Helping a girl named Ntombfuthi as she carried a five-gallon bucket of water from an outdoor pump to the one-room home she shares with her mother, sister, and a young niece was a revelation.  Even Oprah, the queen of the fitness regime, struggled to carry half the load.
But this is a tale of new beginnings…and we rang in the New Year with a black tie soiree in honour of Oprah’s inspiring project.  My dinner table was certainly not lacking intriguing faces…my dear friend Quincy Jones, Oprah and Stedman, Mary J.Blige and her husband, Tina Turner and her husband, Sidney Poitier, and Nobel laureate, Kenyan born Wangari Maathai.  Talk about stimulating dinner conversation! At the stroke of midnight a visual extravaganza of sparklers lit up the tables, stage, and dance floor as a prelude to the hard-core performances.  Mary J. Blige couldn’t have sung a more appropriate song with No More Drama.  After her performance I found her teary-eyed and asked what was wrong.  “I am just very happy to be spending New Years here,” she replied.  
With emotions stirring and bodies moving, Tina Turner belted out her famous Simply The Best, while India Arie and Babyface Kenneth Edmonds added to the singing montage.  Once the DJ started spinning Quincy’s tunes, the crowd went wild, blanketing the dance floor. Caught up in the energy of the crowd, Quincy was pulled up on stage and Chris Tucker was cheered on as he imitated the moves of Michael Jackson, fervently throwing off his blazer.  A display Michael himself would have been proud of!
Still recovering from the festivities of the previous night I travelled two hours to Johannesburg where we all met for dinner and conversation.  The night was young when all retired in anticipation of the Academy’s opening ceremony.
In the small town of Henley-on-Klip guests gathered while Nelson Mandela and prominent figures in education delivered inspiring speeches. The aim of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls is to give 152 girls that have suffered hardships, including families decimated by AIDS, “a free, quality education in a country where schools are struggling to overcome the legacy of apartheid.”  Eventually, the school will accommodate 450 girls.  The Academy sent out 5,000 applications across the country and received 3,500 in return. Applicants had to have academic and leadership potential with a household income of no more than $787/mth.  Talented applicants selected for final interviews had an opportunity to sit down with Oprah and share their aspirations.
The Academy started out with a budget of $10 million, but that figure eventually soared to an incredible $40 million, with Oprah’s friends and a myriad of companies lending donations. Oprah was once having dinner with a friend discussing the project, when he looked at her and said, “Oprah, how much do you need?” Oprah explained she was merely talking about the project out of excitement, and not because she was after a donation…he offered $10million.

After the closing ceremony, excited students took groups of us on tours of the campus.  They flexed their intellectual muscle as they anxiously answered any questions visitors posed them. Lovingly referring to Oprah as “Mama Oprah” their excitement over the journey they were about to embark on was tangible.

The entire event was so powerful that many were moved to tears. We all received a book about the school, written by Oprah herself…just one more truly touching memento from the trip. “I wanted to give this opportunity to girls who had a light so bright that not even poverty could dim that light,” Oprah told reporters.  And thanks to her, that light will continue to burn bright into the future.