Words from the Future The following messages are offered by alumni of the Emerging and Advanced Leaders Programme: LAMEEZ ISAACS About me: I am a final year BEd student, looking forward to pursuing my passion of being an educator next year. I am a student assistant at LSR and I am also involved in RAG and Enactus (which is located in this office) and also participated in the Summit Seekers Programme. I was a Peer Facilitator during the UWC Orientation period and I am currently the Education and Literacy Director for Golden Key - UWC. In my downtime, I enjoy scrapbooking, photography, volunteering and spending time with my family and friends. My Message: Although people always say you determine where you are going, I firmly believe that the people you have on your journey can really be the deciding factor. You don’t need people who are constantly bringing you down to make themselves feel better. Cut them loose! Appreciate the people who are always there for you, the people always on the side lines cheering you on, even when you are currently in last place. Surround yourself with like-minded people, but do not conform. Find friends who enjoy healthy competition, the kind who are pulling you along with them to the finish line. It takes too much energy to force relationships, be with people who love you for you. Never forget how you got where you are and never forget your God in everything you do!
Today I always feel immense joy to know that both of these programmes still give keys to young leaders, and afford them the opportunity to prosper, to make a difference, both in their lives and in their communities. I have attained a B.A. and M.A (history and anthropology) at UWC. For this year I am a PhD candidate (Interdisciplinary Social Studies), at the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), Uganda, Kampala. Presently I am in Senegal, Dakar, reading archives at the Council for the Development of Social Sciences Research in Africa (Codesria) for my PhD dissertation. My message: Life in South Africa has shown me that there is a need for me as a social leader to contribute towards the development of our people, and I have chosen to do that through research, teaching and innovation. In 2010 I volunteered for a cultural exchange programme in Mozambique, where I spent six months learning the culture and life of other Africans. This journey inspired a lot of what I am doing today and of the future I want to build. Social responsibility is important in any democracy! Life always calls us into new demands, new commitments, new responsibilities, the necessary response is that we move along, open a dialogue with these, with the hope that the future is full of new possibilities. We shall all endure!!!
LUNGANI MONDLEKI About me: I am a 2012 UWC LLB Graduate. I completed School for Legal Practice at UCT in December 2012. I am currently doing my articles at Legal Aid South Africa Athlone Justice Centre. I do mostly criminal litigation. I serve people who can’t afford legal service. I enjoy my work even though there are challenges sometimes. I like wearing the gown and going to court. I enjoy litigation. I feel good when I won a case. I feel sad when I lost a case. Some cases you win and some you lose. I feel better when I get a good sentence for my client.
NASHEETA ADAMS About me: I am one of the first breeds of ELP. Once I had a taste of it, I was hooked which led me to be part of the ALP. I am grateful for this dynamic like-minded beings that I have found a home and solace in. I completed my Masters in Industrial Psychology at UWC fulltime whilst working, subsequently wrote my board exam with the HPCSA and I am awaiting registration. I started at Old Mutual on the Graduate Recruitment Programme, where I completed my internship. I am now permanently employed as an HR Consultant, building up my experience.
My message: First and most importantly I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the ELP and ALP students best wishes for the upcoming exams. Study hard, focus, go through past papers and stop partying at this time.
I would like to thank the ELP and ALP programme for helping me remain strong in order to realise that my dream can come true. Thanks to the programme, I use my skills in time management and team work in my working environment.
My message: To the current ELP and ALP students, you have now joined a family, with confidants and a support structure for life, where you will always have a safe place. My message to you is to always persevere, continue striving and when things get tough, remember the end goal. What often happens is that we tend to quit before the blessing. Ultimately, the harder one strives for an achievement, the sweeter the success you experience. Do not try to fit in, as you were born to stand out. Do not miss your invitation to your life’s purpose. You as leaders were born to lead. You are not here by sheer chance or a stroke of luck. You had a vision and you are studying toward actualising it. Stay focused, stay determined and lead as it is your God-given right to SHINE and SPARKLE.
Ayanda Nombila About me: I joined a group of students for the very first ELP; then went on to the ALP. We were the pioneers!
Do not let your past predict or determine where your road may lead. Look at me, I am a first generation Masters graduate within my family. This happened through the
I urge you to keep the knowledge that you acquire in the programmes close and use it as a tool to make change in your community.
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CSSS Leadership and Social Responsibility Yearbook 2014
grace of God and because I have a goal and a vision. It is about lighting the pathway for those to follow and for them to see that anything is possible, if you are determined and you set your mind to it. Life is about adapting and rising to the occasion. Not all occasions will be glamorous. Learn to jump over each obstacle. We are all travelers on this journey striving to create a life of purpose and of success. With Love and Light Stay Sparkling! Nozibuse Matwa About me: In April I graduated for my second degree in B.Soc.Sc (Human and Societal Dynamics) which I am very grateful to have obtained. I recently relocated to Cape Town and started a new job at the Centre for Student Support Services (CSSS), as a facilitator in the ‘Office for Students with Disabilities’ (OSWD). I am involved in a community organization (TLC) which focuses on providing life skills to children. Before I came back to Cape Town, I was involved in the Community Sports Council where I served in the Basketball Executive Committee teaching teenagers how to play basketball
and how they can use sports to overcome some of their challenges. I am challenging you! If you have not done anything, do something to help someone in need. My Message: It is an honour and a privilege to be part of the programme, so consider yourself blessed and fortunate to form part of such a great platform to develop yourself, leadership skills and enhance your critical thinking abilities. This programme will definitely have an impact on how you approach and look at the world as a whole. My advice to you is take it all in, think and act on it and become the change agent in your field. ELP/ALP class will open doors for you to network and meet new people. It also presents opportunities to engage in dialogues and projects that can potentially change our country and the global community for the better. One of my highlights was to attend the New Hope Summit in which I got to engage with the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, the Western Cape Premier and other students from UCT and Stellenbosch. That made me look at my surroundings differently and challenged me to do more, not just for myself, but for our country as a whole, particularly in terms of our education system and other social issues which I am very passionate about.
CSSS Leadership and Social Responsibility Yearbook 2014
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