The article naming Jolandie Rust as Huffington Post’s ‘Greatest Person of the Day’  was a great kick-start to Jolandie’s tour as she heads back to Namibia tonight to continue onwards on her Cycle for Education. Jolandie’s trip – as we are all agreed – is a challenge that will present physical and mental obstacles for Jolandie along the way, but it is an important journey that will highlight the Iduka’s cause of higher education in Africa.

Jolandie on her Cycle for Education Tour

Some of the comments posted in response to the HuffPost article however, were a little disappointing and, frankly, narrow-minded to say the least. Unfortunately there are many individuals in this world who are not able to expand their world view and embrace positive humanitarian actions when they are faced with them. Moreover, such people often cite false stereotypes in defence of their arguments. I think it is important to challenge these misconceptions about Africa, and about Jolandie’s tour, head on. It is also crucial to look behind the act of Jolandie’s Cycle Tour of Africa, and embrace the rich opportunities that higher education can offer African peoples.

Firstly, Africa is a vibrant continent, combining cultural diversity with warmth and welcoming spirit… Each country offers inspiration and opportunity in unique ways.

• Jolandie has experienced spontaneous acts of kindness from strangers throughout her journey so far already, even though it is still so early in the tour. On her way to Windhoek, Namibia, a stranger by the name of Raymond Spall made sure Jolandie had a hot cup of Milo waiting for her at a pit stop along the way.
• In terms of education opportunities, inclusive organisations are inspirational gems. The Undugu Society of Kenya (a country yet to be travelled by Jolandie) has been empowering deaf children and young people from the slums and streets of Nairobi since 2008. These deaf children and young people have enjoyed increased opportunities with such an organisation, including: accessible primary education with their peers, advocacy skills, and widespread integration (as they can teach their friends and teachers how to sign).

Iduka wants to build on these important foundational levels of education and increase opportunities for these disadvantaged youths in higher education.

Hot cup of Milo from Raymond Spall

Also, it is undeniable that Africa is a continent that has faced its share of conflict… but which continent hasn’t?

It is important for high-profile figures like Jolandie, organisations like Iduka and Undugu, humanitarian individuals like Iduka’s volunteers, and – most importantly – students like Iduka’s scholarship recipients, to continue to champion unity, education and equal opportunity. Crucially, it is these sorts of individuals that make up the majority of Africa’s population – kind, intelligent individuals that care about the educational development of their continent.

• One of Iduka’s scholarship students, Neville Albert, is a keen film-maker and has been involved in film projects that have highlighted the plight of disadvantaged individuals in Nairobi. Neville continues to work on ground-breaking film projects for Iduka – an African student championing African causes.
• Iduka’s in-country partners Kisima of Kenya (led by John Ndegwa) and AID-SL of Sierra Leone (led by Sylvanus Marray) are dedicated local organisations that promote education and equal opportunity in their respective localities. Such organisations spring out of the care and compassion of their creators.
  

  John with a Kismia volunteer

   

  

  Sylvanus with AID-SL students

Furthermore, Higher Education is a building block that will help make countries strong and nations great. It is not a lack of will or educational apathy that has prevented higher education expansion in Africa, it is simply down to a lack of opportunity.

• This fundamental difference is what drives inequality in each country and stifles the development of all nations (even in the UK, 15% of boys in the lowest socio-economic bracket do not attain the qualifications required to attend higher education. Such low attainment contributes to wider economic disparity between the rich and poor).
• Lack of opportunity has severe consequences. Studies have shown that mortality is highest among children born to illiterate mothers and illiterate fathers.
• Jolandie herself was unable to pursue a future in higher education in South Africa as it was unaffordable for her family – this is an opportunity-limiting factor that Jolandie is fiercely campaigning against in her Cycle for Education with Iduka.
• Importantly though, success stories are plentiful and increasing. In March of this year Somali-civilsociety.org reported that Somalian women in increasing numbers are being allowed to stay in school until their late teens. One of these school success stories is that of Harfo Primary School run by Galkayo Education Centre for Peace and Development or GECPD, a local NGO. Iduka, with its ever increasing number of volunteers, partners and student applications, is another one of these success stories. Opportunities ARE increasing, and it is down to individuals to be part of this change.

Of course this list of African educational achievements and future targets is not exhaustive – with a continent so diverse I don’t think any list or one article will encapsulate what it really means to follow education in Africa. Nonetheless, it is vital to keep celebrating successes, challenging inequalities, and opening opportunities in whatever way possible – and this should all be done with a positive attitude!

Students enjoying a class in Kenya

The road calls! And so I go.

I will be back in Namibia by tonight!
The time I have had to spend with my nearest and dearest at home, has been a true blessing.
But now I really need to get a move on. The time restrictions that my visas for Angola, DRC and Congo place on me, will force me to have to push really hard for the next few months. I have to uphold a daily average of at least 75 kilometers, or else I won’t make it to each border in time.

Back to Luna in Namibia!

Whilst on the road, it is not always possible for me to update my blog on a regular basis.

Hanret Snyman, one of my nearest and dearest friends, has been my ‘ground control’ support whilst on the road and the person who I am in constant contact with. (Also the person that puts in an amazing amount of effort behind the scenes in helping me live my dream). She will be posting regular updates when I am not able to.

So be on the lookout for updates from “La Domestique“.

Be sure to listen in on JacarandaFM every Thursday for LIVE updates! (I will send out a notification as to what time)

And if you’d like to get involved and sponsor a country: Click here for more information.

A big thank you to FNB Namibia for sponsoring the Namibia leg of my trip!!!

Jolandie approaching Clanwilliam on route to Namibia.

We knew all along about the greatness of Iduka’s Goodwill Ambassador, Jolandie Rust, but yesterday The Huffington Post named her its “Greatest Person of the Day.”

The article starts with Jolandie sharing her views on education in Africa and Iduka’s campaign to raise funds for local students.

“A lot of these kids don’t get the opportunity to attend the university of their choice,” Rust said. “I would love to see an Africa where everybody has equal opportunity to get post-secondary education. That’s the only way forward. It has such an importance.”

Read the full post here as Jolandie talks about her Cycle For Education tour of Africa.

FINALLY!!!

I will be flying back to Windhoek on Tuesday, 12 July!
I hope to be back on the road, officially, by latest Friday – 15 July.
That gives me little over a week to make it to the Angolan border, then a month to get through Angola.

So you can expect more ‘exciting’ updates pretty soon!!

“The road calls”

In the meantime, check out an article about my trip on Jacaranda FM!! There’s an audio interview as well that you can listen to.

I had a meeting on Monday with Managing Editor, Denzil Taylor, at Jacaranda FM. I’m very happy to announce that they have come on board in a big way!
Now you’ll be able to listen in LIVE for weekly updates. I’ll be chatting to the team every week to keep you all updated on where I am and how things are going.

A big thank you and a very warm welcome to the Jacaranda FM team!

I’ll post an update as soon as we’ve sorted out the more ‘nitty-gritty’ details.

In the meantime: Check out their Website.

Cote D'Ivoire, West Africa

The five month political crisis in Cote d’Ivoire (West Africa) came to an end in early April; however a humanitarian crisis has increasingly spread. The Office of the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that hundreds of thousands of civilians are STILL displaced, more than two months after the former President Laurent Gbagbo surrendered.

Almost a million children have been affected and over 15% are still unable to return to a stable education institution– many schools were looted or destroyed during the fighting. Moreover, many teachers fled the violence and have still not returned to their classrooms. There is a desperate educational need growing in the country.

Exacerbating the problem is the underlying fact that the education system in the country was weak in the first place. One million children in Cote d’Ivoire have never even been to school. Of the schools that have re-opened and are functioning in the Central, North and West areas, 83.1% do not have the required numbers of desks in classrooms and most lack sufficient latrine capacity, and potable water.

Children in a class in Abidjan*

UNICEF and the Ministry of Education have recently launched a ‘Back to School’ initiative which is attempting to address these problems. In conjunction with Save the Children, they are targeting one million children through social mobilisation efforts, by improving learning environments and investing in infrastructure. It is a promising project that should begin to lay the foundation for post secondary education in the country – only children that finish primary and secondary school can progress to a higher education future. We applaud UNICEF, The Ministry of Education and Save the Children in their efforts and we will continue to promote the post-secondary education message throughout Cote d’Ivoire and the rest of Africa.

Image Source: Zenman, Wikipedia.org

News Sources: UNICEF and Allafrica.com

An energetic crowd of more than 100 delegates from around the world gathered today in Melaka to listen to Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor as the keynote speaker at the 11th Melaka International Youth Dialogue luncheon organized by the World Assembly of Youth (WAY).

Ntiokam Divine, Iduka Outreach Coordinator (left) with Malaysia's Prime Minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor (right).

“The next generation must not only transform business just for profit per se. They must reshape its relationship to society by creating economic value in a way that also creates value for society,” she said at the conclusion of WAY’s annual meeting.

Also present was the Deputy Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture of Namibia and WAY’s Vice-President, Mr. Pohamba Shifeta, the President of the World Youth Bank Network, Mr. Tomislav Bogdanic, Melaka Chief Minister, Mr. Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, MP of Malaysia and WAY President, Datuk Idris Haron, WAY Secretary General, Ms. Ediola Pashollari and our own Iduka African Pilot Project Outreach Coordinator, Mr. Ntiokam Divine.

Tomislav Bogdanic, Ntiokam Divine, Pohamba Shifeta, and Ediola Pashoralli

WAY was established in 1949 and has members in most countries promoting programs in areas, such as: democracy, environment, human rights, population, health, drugs, community development and leadership training.

We are proud to count with the support of WAY!

The long awaited Angolan visa!

Okay, I now have a visa for Angola that is valid until the 24th August and a visa for the D.R.C, which is valid until the 7th September. I picked up my passport from the Embassy of DRC in Pretoria this morning and went straight to the Congo embassy, a few blocks down, and handed in my application. My visa for Congo will be ready on Thursday! So….I should be back in Windhoek by this coming weekend!

And today marks 2 months on this journey!  Here’s a little video to celebrate…

So, after a rollercoaster few weeks Jolandie has finally got her Angolan visa and is about to set off on her Cycle For Education Tour of the country. But just what can she expect education-wise?

Flag of Angola

The country gained independence in 1975, but experienced intense civil war from 1975 – 2002. Since the closure of that period, Angola has looked towards stability and rebuilding the shattered education system. There is now compulsory, free primary school education for children in Angola for the first four years (which begins at the age of 6 or 7). Primary school then lasts for another four years and secondary school education follows immediately afterwards. In 2000 this system was classed as severely sub-standard with over half of adults classified as illiterate. The Angolan government has since concentrated on shifting that situation for the betterment of the people. Education reform started in 2004, and by 2008 over 80% of students had been integrated into the new system.*

The Ministry of Education is based in Luanda, and in 2009 this Ministry made an agreement (with UNICEF) to provide quality education training to 8,750 primary school teachers over the course of three years.** In addition, just yesterday, allafrica.com reported that over 1500 adults of the Chicomba district have been attending the second phase of a programme designed to fight illiteracy. Since the beginning of the programme, 6,500 adults have been taught to read and write.

Luanda, Angola's capital city.

But what about post-secondary education? There has been considerable development in post-secondary education over the last few decades. Just after independence, the public Universidade Agostinho Neto (UAN) was established, and shortly afterwards came Universidade Católica de Angola (UCAN). A wave of political liberalisation in the 1990s saw the growth of many private universities, some of which were directly linked to Portugal. In 2010 the UAN split up, with various faculties now constituting autonomous public universities (two have retained the UAN name). Pupils hoping to continue to university level are now required to undergo a post-secondary, “pre-university” 2-3 year course.***

A class in Kuito...

Although great progress clearly has been made in the country, there are still many challenges ahead. Primary school enrollment is at an all time high, however drop out rates keep increasing. Around 20% of males and 45% of females are still illiterate, despite the programmes implemented to directly tackle this problem***. The solution is not a short-term one but the focus on education is clearly present – I’m sure Jolandie will have personal insight into this situation once she gets back on the road.

 Sources:

* i4donline.net.

** UNICEF.org

*** angola-today.com

Image of Luanda… Photo: Silje L. Bakke, Wikipedia.org

Image of schoolchildren… Photo: Living in Kuito, Wikipedia.org

Edo State, Nigeria

Last Friday the TY Danjuma Foundation declared that the state of education in this region was alarming, despite huge infrastructural investment in the education sector. The TY Danjuma Foundation attributed the problem to an imbalance in the posting of teachers, and the poor construction of school buildings in rural and urban areas. In rural areas, the student-teacher ratio was found to be 160 pupils to 1 teacher, whilst in urban areas it was found to be 50 to 1. Although this indicates that there are more teachers in urban areas, there is a class size problem that desperately needs addressing. An oversized class means that not all of the children have fair access to the limited resources. Children that may initially struggle through classes do not get the one-on-one teacher care that their education requires, and they will become despondent with the system. Few pupils in class sizes this large have aspirations of higher education, and they fail to reach their full potential.

Moreover, the investigation discovered that secondary schools were woefully under-funded. Without resources, pupils cannot better themselves. There is no reading without books; there is no writing without pencils and paper. Such a situation means that secondary-school graduation rates remain low – further hampering opportunities for pupils to continue to post-secondary education. The TY Danjuuma Foundation have sponsored the Wing Community Development Project, which has supported over 2000 pupils through secondary and tertiary education – but there is still a long way to go, and the momentum must come from the state.

News Source: allafrica.com

Image Source: Uwe Dedering, Wikipedia.org

Wooooohhhhooooooo!!! FINALLY!!! My visa application for Angola got accepted last Tuesday!
Now I feel like I’m (almost) back in the game again. For a moment there I felt like a spider floating in space…disconnected from my web.
Soon enough I’ll be back on the road again!! Yay! I am very excited to hit the open road again. Visa processing time is usually ten days so I should have it any day now. Fantastic!

On Tuesday I actually had some fun at the Consulate. I mean, it’s not like the first time I have spoken or seen these people. The woman that was assisting me (very friendly and helpful), disappeared with my documentation through a door to the back. On her return she was accompanied by the Head of Consulate (who can’t speak a word of english), with my mission letter in his hands. He looked at me and spoke really fast…all in Portuguese. I just smiled at him. The woman assisting me then told him that I do not speak Portuguese. He pointed at my date of birth on my visa application form. Then looked back up at me and stared at me, for what seemed like, the longest five seconds of my life. “What has my age got to do with anything”, I thought to myself??
He then gave me a broad smile and said something else in Portuguese, gesturing with his hands like saying: “Come on in”. The woman assisting me now played the role of translator and said: “He says: You are welcome to Angola”.

Fabulous! Muito Obrigada!!
The Head of Consulate then proceeded to tell all and sundry in the office about me and what I am planning on doing. I had to show them my route on a big map on the wall. One of the women said: “I’ll follow you on a scooter”. LoL. Great, now they’re even rallying for back-up!
I can only hope that future encounters on the visa application front will be like today’s.

Jolandie relaxing with friends, before the big journey kicks off again

What happens now?
Once I have my visa (which seems like it might be early this week), I’ll be on a plane back to Windhoek and my faithful bike Luna. I then have some Social Responsibility to take care of in Windhoek.
First National Bank, Namibia, is sponsoring the Namibian leg of my journey. In return I will be giving motivational talks at ten schools on my route. Four in Windhoek, six on my way North to the Angolan border. (Primary Schools)

I then have 30 days to make it to the Angola/DRC border, seeing as my Angolan visa is only valid for that period of time.
The break that I’ve had now (More than 2 weeks already), has also broken my momentum. I suspect I’ll have to build it up again. But not too worried about that. Keeping in mind that the roads have been superb thusfar. Once I enter Angola, it’ll be a very different story!

The adventure awaits!!

*Thank you to all the people who have jumped in and helped with: attaining letters of invitation, translating documentation etc. And to the staff at the Angolan Consulate in Johannesburg today. Because of you, I now can’t wait to enter Angola!*

Since I’ve arrived home Hanret has been spoiling me a great deal! Hanret’s been cooking all my favorite food! Pork chops, Lamb shanks, Oxtail!!! YUM!! )

Mmmm delicious lamb shank!

I would be lying if I said that I don’t enjoy being home. Of course I enjoy being home!!! The open road is beckoning though!! But it’s not like that would make any difference to the Angolan Embassy!

I went to the Angolan Embassy in Pretoria this morning. A good friend of mine and fellow adventurer, Shayne Robinson, was so kind to give me a lift! First, when we got there, the security guard nearly had a cardial infarction because we drove in at the gate!! (ooops)
Then they informed me that the Embassy is only open for visa applications on Mondays and Tuesdays. (Lesson #64839387293867: Ask specific questions when dealing with any institution that has even the slightest connection to any kind of government). I phoned yesterday to double check on their office hours. They did tell me what their office hours are but neglected to tell me that I can only apply for my visa on Mondays and Tuesdays. My own fault as well…I should be more specific!!!

Upon my return to South Africa I was told that the Angolan Consulate in Johannesburg had closed down. I phoned the number I was given, just to double check. The answer on the other side: “Roman’s pizza…how can we help you”? Wahahahahaha!!! “Can I have a four seasons with extra cheese and an Angolan visa on it”???? )

Today, at the Embassy, I was informed that the Consulate had NOT closed down. “Do you have a number for them”, I asked. “No, sorry”. (But of course you don’t).
It took me having to phone the Angolan Embassy in Cape Town to get the number for the Angolan Consulate in Johannesburg!!! So I eventually do get hold of the Consulate and quadruple check on what their requirements are. Everything is pretty much the same, BUT, “all your documentation needs to be in Portuguese”. Oh and you need proof of returning flight ticket. “Ummmm… and if I’m not flying”? I ask. “Then your vehicles registration documentation, etc”.
“And if I’m cycling”? – At this point I had to take the phone away from my ear because the exclamation and laughter that followed got quite hectic! Then I could hear the whole office in the background chipping in.

After they all eventually managed to calm themselves down to a mild panic, the woman came back to me and said that I would need a letter stating my mission… and that also needs to be in Portuguese.

What this all means is that I have to get my new friends in Angola to edit my letters of invitation. (I have 2). They are both in Portuguese, but now I have to have them faxed to a different address altogether. All my other letters have to be translated into Portuguese. (This is currently being done). And then hopefully I can go to the consulate either tomorrow or latest Friday. And then we’ll try AGAIN!!

A few people have asked what I plan on doing regarding the countries that still lie ahead? Well, that’s my focus whilst in South Africa right now. In the meantime, I’m having all my documentation done in English, Portuguese, French…and if I can find someone to help me, Arabic as well… just for good measure!

Current documentation...

Jolandie arrived in Windhoek in fantastic time – but since her arrival in this great city, her luck has rapidly deteriorated.

Windhoek Skyline

The first few days were filled with the necessities of life: food, rest, and washing. Then Jolandie made it a priority to visit the Angolan embassy in order to secure a visa that will open up the next stage of her tour. However, objections came thick and fast:

1. Jolandie must have insurance (an issue that is well beyond the ability of Jolandie’s budget).

2. Jolandie must have a letter of invitation from an Angolan resident or organization, inviting her into the country.

Jolandie's bike receives some care and attention

Whilst utilising all of her contacts to find an Angolan friend Jolandie managed to make the most of her Namibian stay. After having exciting interviews with radio station RadioWave and the newspaper The Namibian, Jolandie had a meeting with a potential sponsor and then she took her beloved bike Luna to Cycletec for some much-needed treatment. Of course, Jolandie made time to catch up with George – Iduka’s Namibian country coordinator.

Jolandie in The Namibian!

On Wednesday Jolandie managed to donate blood at a local shopping centre, she picked up Luna from the bike shop AND she managed to fit in an interview with the Republikein newspaper.

Jolandie gave blood in a local shopping centre

However, visa troubles continued…

Jolandie visited the Angolan embassy in Windhoek time and time again to try and sort the issues. On Friday she was informed that, on top of the other requirements, she would also need to apply for an extension on her Namibian visa. This is because the Angolan Embassy requires that Jolandie should have a 6 month visa in Namibia before she can apply for an Angolan visa.

Fed up and frustrated, Jolandie was forced to take a flight back to Johannesburg. She is now home with friends and family awaiting an invitation letter from Angola (to arrive shortly) and then it will only take ten days for the Namibian visa to be processed.

Jolandie’s bike and all her gear are still in Windhoek and of course, with her upbeat and energetic attitude, Jolandie shrugs this complication off as all part of the experience. Hopefully, she will be back on the road very soon and on her way to Angola.

Jolandie meets Caleb Thole, an Iduka volunteer from Malawi

At the end of last week Michelle Obama, the wife of US President Barak Obama, re-visited pupils from a London (UK) comprehensive school.

The school – Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School – is one of the 2% most deprived in the country, 55 different languages are spoken within its walls, and 92% of the pupils are black or from ethnic minority backgrounds… and yet the school has been classed as “outstanding” by the UK Education inspectors, Ofsted. Michelle Obama’s message to the pupils of this school was clear, inspiring, and universally applicable…

“Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Learn to use your voice now.”

Michelle Obama is a woman who seems exceptional in her education background and career successes. She attended Harvard Law School and is now the First Lady of America. However, she grew up in an underprivileged area in Chicago and often felt discouraged from applying to an elite university. Fortunately, she did not let her background dictate her aspirations…

“I realised that success is not about the background you are from, it is about the confidence that you have and the effort you are willing to invest.”

This is a message that should ring true throughout the whole of the world. Education is the key to betterment – both on an individual level and for wider society. The girls from the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School have been inspired by Michelle’s recent talks in the UK and now feel that the sky is the limit in education. The aspirations in Africa should be no different – post-secondary education will unlock a better future. Iduka calls for more post-secondary education opportunities in Africa; Michelle Obama calls for self-belief and ambition among the world’s youths. Let us encourage the leaders of Africa to hear these cries for progress… the future is in education.

At the beginning of May we started phase 2 of our African Pilot Project. During this new phase we are introducing a few changes:

• two new outreach programs
• one major fundraising campaign
• external Scholarship Advisory Board
• partnerships with local non-profits

Political Map of Africa

Image credit: Wikipedia. Derivative work by Bobarino | Eric Gaba.

All of these efforts require a much stronger organizational structure that is now being coordinated by an Executive Committee responsible for overseeing six other committees.

We’re going to talk with every person who volunteered during phase 1 and encourage them to reach out to us via Skype (iduka.skype) and to re-enroll by filling out this online form. The project officers and I already started making calls and having one-on-one conversations with anyone interested in getting to know more about this new phase and how to start a Local Outreach Chapter or join a National Outreach Council. Be ready to speak up and provide the feedback we need to shape our project across Africa.

If you’re willing to start a Local Outreach Chapter, simply fill out an application here.

Travelling towards Windhoek (the capital of Namibia), this is Jolandie’s update in pictures and videos…

Sunday 22nd May and howling winds…

Wednesday 25th May

Jolandie does a happy dance because the wind changed from head to tail!

Thursday 26th May

Oops, puncture again...

The big city beckons - 187km to Windhoek

 

Jolandie has met so many interesting and supportive people along the way – word of her ‘Cycle for Eduction’ is spreading and you can be sure that, in Windhoek, she will be met with a mighty reception!