The South African Washington Internship Program (SAWIP) has as its objective to prepare, inspire and support a new generation of leaders in South Africa and to provide them with the necessary skills and tools to address post-conflict challenges in the process of building a sustainable democratic society.

SAWIP works with, and is funded by, the Washington Ireland Program for Service and Leadership. The intersection between the groups allows for an opportunity for university students from South Africa and Ireland to find common ground within the US. The initiative offers opportunities that challenge the students to think and act differently in the goals of service and leadership.

Seven SA students participate in a six-week internship in Washington DC with placements at the World Bank, the IFC, ACLU, CSIS, the Center for International Private Enterprise and the Councul for a community of Democracies. Events include a reception with the Congressional Black Caucus at the Capitol and the South African Embassy.

The students live with American host families in order to gain a perspective on American life.

For more information visit www.sawip.org.

AWESOME SA has been formed to bring all South Africans together to effect the change we want to see in our country. The website states: “Only when we as individual South Africans start realising that it is up to each and every one of us to make a difference will we ever truly reach our potential as a nation. AWESOME SA is on www.awesomesa.co.za. There is an excellent article in its latest newsletter by Richard Pike, CEO of Adcorp Holdings, which I’m sure will resonate.
 
Global South African member, Jacobus Vlok, VP Fieldstone arranged a meeting for the Millennium Labor Council (referred to in the article) to meet with investment bankers on South Africa’s investment climate.

Grayhaven Winery’s annual South African Food and Wine Festival is coming up on July 11,12 and 13.

The festival’s mission is to promote South Africa,  to raise awareness of South African products (wine, food and art,) promote tourism to South Africa and provide a venue for South Africans living in the U.S. to promote their US or SA based businesses.  

Previous years have proven an excellent opportunity to celebrate all things South African.

Find out more by visiting the festival website at: www.southafricanfoodfest.com

The Global South Africans project and partners are putting on a series of events in Chicago, New York and Washington over the next couple of weeks. There’s a reception at Kendall College in Chicago on April 24, co-hosted Kendall CFO David Donnenberg and catered by the college’s famous restaurant school. We’re hosting a tea for GSA members at the New York Stock Exchange on April 29 as a precursor to cocktails on the floor of the stock exchange and the premiere showing of Carol Pineau’s new film, African Investment Horizons. On April 30, the World Bank is hosting a workshop in Washington on mobilizing the South African diaspora. On May 1, there will be a GSA lunch hosted the by South African embassy in Washington at which Ambassador Welile Nhlapo will speak. We will be joined at each event by Martine Schaffer and Guy Lundy of the the Homecoming Revolution.