Matlala Sefale, Grade 12
UWCSA (Waterford)
Waterford Kamhlaba UWCSA was founded in 1963 by Micheal Stern as a multiracial school in outright opposition to the South African Apartheid regime. During apartheid, multiracial educational institutions were forbidden - schools were either “all black” or “all white”. Having taught in South Africa for several years, Stern was dissatisfied with this segregation and founded what is now known as the United World College of Southern Africa in the Kingdom of eSwatini (then Swaziland) for youth to attain the equal opportunity to education in the same school regardless of their race. [1]
Almost six decades since Micheal Stern’s dream of a racially inclusive school germinated on a hilltop on the outskirts of Mbabane, the capital of eSwatini, it continues to bear excellent fruits whose seeds continue to germinate and grow on that hilltop and miles beyond. One such fruit, which stands out especially in this time when the world is embattled with racism in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, is Shreya Semnarayan. Shreya is a 17-year-old South African Form 5 student at Waterford Kamhlaba UWCSA who is one of the organisers of a march that happened on 16th June 2020 in Johannesburg to protest against systemic racism. 16th June is South African Youth Day, which is a commemoration of the 1976 Soweto Uprising during which young black South African school children lost their lives or suffered extreme injuries protesting against the Apartheid regime’s instatement of Afrikaans as a medium of education. [2]
“I organised the protest to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests in the USA and to raise awareness on the racism that we still experience in South Africa because I was tired of sitting at home doing nothing while so much injustice has been going on in the world. I felt posting on social media was not enough and wanted to make my voice, and those of others heard in real life.” Shreya explained.
Shreya’s fierce act of activism later earned her an invitation to speak at the South African Youth Parliament on 26th June 2020. In light of Shreya’s action and accomplishment, Waterford principal Stephen Lowry said, “We are proud of her for showing leadership in South Africa. Her efforts are consistent with our mission as Waterford Kamhlaba. As we build leaders for Africa and the world, we are encouraged when our students start now to demonstrate high levels of responsibility and leadership in society.” [3]
Shreya is but one of the myriad examples of the living manifestations of Waterford Kamhlaba’s values, which happen to align perfectly with those of the UWC. Waterford highly values its socio-economic and cultural diversity.[4] In 1967, His Majesty King Sobhuza II, the former king of eSwatini, granted Waterford the title “Kamhlaba”, eloquently describing Waterford’s culturally rich and diverse community saying, “We are all of the earth, which does not see differences of colour, religion or race. We are ‘kamhlaba’ – all of one world.” [4]
Waterford’s student community has demonstrated their Kamhlaba-ness and their embodiment of the UWC values of “International and intercultural understanding”, “Mutual responsibility and respect” and “Celebration of difference” among others, through their collaborative and individual acts of activism and discussions through various online platforms as well as their action under the leadership of the Student Representative Council (SRC) and other student-led organisations in compelling the school’s leadership to actively demonstrate their support for anti-racism and the Black Lives Matter movement, which the leadership went on to do through hosting discussions with the school’s community at large through online platforms and engaged its counselling department to assist those who may have been in any way psychologically affected by the global racial turmoil in the midst of the already psychologically draining Covid-19 pandemic.
The spirit of activism is nothing new to the members of the Waterford community - students and staff alike. There are members of staff who have a rich history of active social activism and multiple students who have begun their journeys following in the footsteps of their educators - in their own unique ways- protesting and petitioning for action against climate change, racism and gender inequality among other pressing issues.
Through the action of current Waterford students and alumni and their way of life, both within the school community and far beyond in their own communities and globally, the Waterford Kamhlaba and UWC values are brought to life.
Almost six decades since Micheal Stern’s dream of a racially inclusive school germinated on a hilltop on the outskirts of Mbabane, the capital of eSwatini, it continues to bear excellent fruits whose seeds continue to germinate and grow on that hilltop and miles beyond. One such fruit, which stands out especially in this time when the world is embattled with racism in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, is Shreya Semnarayan. Shreya is a 17-year-old South African Form 5 student at Waterford Kamhlaba UWCSA who is one of the organisers of a march that happened on 16th June 2020 in Johannesburg to protest against systemic racism. 16th June is South African Youth Day, which is a commemoration of the 1976 Soweto Uprising during which young black South African school children lost their lives or suffered extreme injuries protesting against the Apartheid regime’s instatement of Afrikaans as a medium of education. [2]
“I organised the protest to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests in the USA and to raise awareness on the racism that we still experience in South Africa because I was tired of sitting at home doing nothing while so much injustice has been going on in the world. I felt posting on social media was not enough and wanted to make my voice, and those of others heard in real life.” Shreya explained.
Shreya’s fierce act of activism later earned her an invitation to speak at the South African Youth Parliament on 26th June 2020. In light of Shreya’s action and accomplishment, Waterford principal Stephen Lowry said, “We are proud of her for showing leadership in South Africa. Her efforts are consistent with our mission as Waterford Kamhlaba. As we build leaders for Africa and the world, we are encouraged when our students start now to demonstrate high levels of responsibility and leadership in society.” [3]
Shreya is but one of the myriad examples of the living manifestations of Waterford Kamhlaba’s values, which happen to align perfectly with those of the UWC. Waterford highly values its socio-economic and cultural diversity.[4] In 1967, His Majesty King Sobhuza II, the former king of eSwatini, granted Waterford the title “Kamhlaba”, eloquently describing Waterford’s culturally rich and diverse community saying, “We are all of the earth, which does not see differences of colour, religion or race. We are ‘kamhlaba’ – all of one world.” [4]
Waterford’s student community has demonstrated their Kamhlaba-ness and their embodiment of the UWC values of “International and intercultural understanding”, “Mutual responsibility and respect” and “Celebration of difference” among others, through their collaborative and individual acts of activism and discussions through various online platforms as well as their action under the leadership of the Student Representative Council (SRC) and other student-led organisations in compelling the school’s leadership to actively demonstrate their support for anti-racism and the Black Lives Matter movement, which the leadership went on to do through hosting discussions with the school’s community at large through online platforms and engaged its counselling department to assist those who may have been in any way psychologically affected by the global racial turmoil in the midst of the already psychologically draining Covid-19 pandemic.
The spirit of activism is nothing new to the members of the Waterford community - students and staff alike. There are members of staff who have a rich history of active social activism and multiple students who have begun their journeys following in the footsteps of their educators - in their own unique ways- protesting and petitioning for action against climate change, racism and gender inequality among other pressing issues.
Through the action of current Waterford students and alumni and their way of life, both within the school community and far beyond in their own communities and globally, the Waterford Kamhlaba and UWC values are brought to life.
Image Credits: Shreya Semnarayan, student at UWCSA (Waterford)
|
www.unitedworldwide.co