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To set the scene: the road winds through an achingly beautiful countryside, of rolling green hills, surrounded in the distance in nearly all directions with the peaks of the mountains, traditionally called the “Wall of Spears”, capped with snow in winter. The passes wind past places like Sterkfontein dam, a dam at the top of an escarpment, midway on the long journey of water from Lesotho to Johannesburg.

14 years after its dissolution, the border of Kwazulu is still quite clear in the landscape. The self governing homelands were roughly like the US’s reservations, and were supposed to be the legal homes of all black people in South Africa — thus leaving South Africa as a majority-white country. Some of the homelands were granted supposed “independence”, though Kwazulu did not reach this status. Passing the former border, one moves from large-scale commercial farming and forestry, with hardly a person in sight, to high-density, semi-urban subsistence farming. Spread over the hills as far as the eye can see are extended family homesteads, partially brick houses and party mud and thatch huts. Heavy land use and cattle farming has led to some erosion, though it seems like there is progress being made in containing it.

The absurdity of Apartheid-era development is best illustrated in the road. There are homesteads in all directions, but the road’s clear purpose is to go to the Cathedral Peak hotel. It is still the only tarred road, with much smaller gravel side roads occasionally heading off in other directions, complete with clusters of signposts for schools (Clover seems to have cornered the market for sponsoring such signs). One sees why a trip to the clinic might take a whole day — and why SMS delivery of diagnoses from blood tests has become such a hit application.

I was really struck by the contradictions of partial development. The houses and landscape are little changed from decades ago (though perhaps in generally better repair — people are poor but certainly not desperate or starving). Electricity, however, is now pretty much everywhere, and on many a mud-walled hut one finds a satellite TV dish. The rivers are spotted with women cleaning clothes — and chatting on their cellphones (3G internet and voice coverage is excellent).

Despite all the people, there are still no industries or major commercial centres. For wage-paying jobs, people need still to travel to farms across the the former border, or perhaps to the mines and industries many hours away in Johannesburg. But there are schools everywhere, and one passes a major hospital complex. South Africa is full of huge challenges and mountains to climb to build sustainable communities. But almost uniquely, it has also the resources and potential to run schools, build infrastructure and uplift an entire population. But what a challenge to get the schools right, the hospitals efficient, the roads built. And what personal challenges people face every day — how does one prepare a student at a small school in an almost timeless rural community, for a job in a first world economy? And over everything hangs the war-time demographic changes resulting from AIDS.

Hope, opportunity and challenge. And really nice mountains.

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“In terms of absolute numbers, of the close to 8 million unemployed people in the South African labour market, just over 5.5 million of these individuals are between the ages of 15-34.”

South Africa Addressing Youth Unemployment – the Most Pressing Post-Apartheid Development Challenge for Youth. Prepared by the Youth Development Network (YDN) 24 June 2004

What is BizSchool?

BizSchool is a pilot programme that is going to be run for 2008 Matriculants who do not have any study or career plans or goals for 2009.

What is the goal of BizSchool?

To try and assist Matriculants who have no study or career plans by:

· Creating a self awareness of their individual skills and talents

· Teaching them basic life skills for entering an adult world,

· Giving them knowledge of career and study opportunities

· Teaching them basic small business and entrepreneurship skills

· Inspiring the participants with hope and encouraging them to dream

· Giving them the knowledge that there is a purpose for each of their lives and to encourage them to take responsibility for their lives.

At the end of Biz School each delegate will leave with:

1. A personal budget

2. A bank account

3. A personality profile and career suggestions for future study and work

4. A mission statement, goals and an awareness of how to achieve their goals

5. A testimonial from the Biz School team

6. A CV

7. A knowledge of how to start their own small mini company

8. Various life skills and work skills

9. A peer accountability group and a mentor

10. An email address

What is the format of Biz School?

The programme for Biz School is a 15 day programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science and a three day camp.

Through a variety of seminars, individual and group activities, self reflection exercises, adventure based activities, simulation, debates, use of psychological tests, panels, multi-media, outings, peer counseling and mentoring we hope to achieve the above goals.

When is BizSchool going to take place?

· BizSchool Camp: Friday 28 November 15h00 to Sunday 30 November 16h00.

– Monday 1 December to Friday 12 December 2008. 08h00 – 17h00 each day.
Where is BizSchool going to take place?

· Gordon Institute of Business Science, 25 Melville Road, Illovo, Sandton.

· The camp will take place in Magaliesburg.

How can I help?

We are looking for people to:

· Teach/facilitate topics that interest them in the BizSchool programme

· Lead small groups

· Mentor the delegates

· Assist with the camp

· Assist with transport

· Sponsor or part sponsor a delegate: The programme costs R3000 per participant.

· Sponsorship and funding of programme materials, entrance fees on outings, transport costs, lunch each day etc

· Telling matrics who could fit the criteria for BizSchool, about BizSchool and encouraging them to apply.

Where do I sign up?

Please contact Sarah Tinsley on 0823745535 or [tinsleys at gibs.co.za] for more information.

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