As the holidays are upon us and I see all of the letters to Santa adorning my family’s refrigerator, I am reminded that no matter where you’re from or where you go, you will always find that kids tell it like it is. Letters to Santa outline exactly what every child wants for Christmas, and they have no shame in letting him know that the list goes on and on. In times of our own economic struggles, we realize that regardless of the challenges we may face, kids still dream. Stocks fall, but a pony still sits at the top of millions of little girls’ holiday wish lists.
Kids in South Africa dream too. During the Global Development Internship, young people in Uta shared their dreams and goals with us—and they tell it like it is. Children and youth we talked to while living and working in Uta told us about their dream for a community center. Kids in Uta recognize that they are not receiving all of the opportunities in school that they deserve. They know their peers are not living up to their full potential when they have no alternative to the local bars as an after-school activity. We asked young people in Uta for a wish list for their community, and they answered. They told us that Uta needed to build a community center, so that’s what Claire and I decided to do.
The Uta Community Center is a big project that requires not only funding and planning, but also inspiration and commitment. Claire and I know that the community center is locally inspired and want to ensure that it is locally driven. We are excited to work with our youth partner, Forget Sithole, in the construction of the center and the growth of the various community organizations that will utilize it. Development is only sustainable when it derives from the desires of the community and has that community’s full support. Our peers, fellow students, and the children that we worked with in Uta during the Global Development Internship have given us their wish list—they dream for a community center that will provide opportunities in health and education. Claire and I are inspired by them and committed to making their dream a reality.