Site Visit: Global Development Ambassadors Meet Community Center

Posted by Sarah Whitney and Claire Bristow, Fellows

A rainy week in South Africa provided a much needed break from the heat of summer and a comfortable atmosphere for Think Impact’s Global Development Ambassadors to visit the Uta community and learn more about ongoing Fellowship projects. Members of the Project Steering Committee, who are working tirelessly on the planning and development of the Uta Community Center, were excited to meet with the visiting Americans and tell them all about what has been going on for the past five months. Angie Mabuza, the PSC Chairperson, showed the group the building blueprints, gave them a tour of the location, and answered questions about the future of the community center in Uta. The GDAs were fortunate to hear Angie’s story and her vision for the project.

Angie is a vital part of her community—a natural born leader and a strong believer in the potential for growth in Uta. With two daughters herself, she is an advocate for youth in the community, and in an area where women aren’t always given a voice, she is heard.

Angie sees opportunity for students to form performance groups and use their time and talent to entertain their peers and share their ideas.  She envisions women with small businesses selling their goods at these events, generating profit that will both uplift their families and to feed back into the center. Angie is committed to this project because she knows it will help her community.  For the first time, Uta is going to have a physical resource for community meetings, government services, a place to host social and cultural events and a facility for health education and business programs.  She sees that this will change everything, that a new building can help spark ideas for new groups and community entrepreneurship.

Currently the community center project is in the final stages of planning.  Contracts have been drawn up, the community is ready to get the building moving.  While these things have been going on, we have been working to identify assets in the community so that once the building is up, there are already programs running to use the center.  With all of the great ideas that Angie and the other committee members have for the potential of the center, there is a lot to look forward to!