Hello GSA,
My name is Rachael Specht. I am a senior student and Communication major at UB. For the Spring ‘22 semester, I am enrolled in COM 493, which involves working with the ELN (Experiential Learning Network) to partner with a non-profit. I am partnering with Inkulueko, whose Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Jason Torreano, was from Western New York. Inkulueko is leading a trip (12/28/22-1/10/23), and I am assisting in communicating this to people who may be interested.
Trip information for Inkulueko’s program, Kunye:
https://www.inkululeko.org/kunye
Coordinating Organization:
Inkululeko (www.inkululeko.org) is a nonprofit organization that works with motivated, young people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds in Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa.
The organization has these goals:
– To support students with finishing high school and moving onto university, or
– To support students with finishing high school and obtaining a skill set so they can be gainfully employed upon graduation
Inkululeko welcomes accepted students from the local township several days a week after school to receive academic support in areas where they are struggling and enrichment opportunities in areas where they are excelling. Regular tutors are Rhodes University students.
This Program:
Participants who join this trip will have an opportunity to engage with, teach, and learn from Inkululeko students through purposeful volunteering, including tutoring Inkululeko learners and collaborating with them to work on aspects of building a social enterprise project.
Participants will be immersed in the local culture, with opportunities to take Xhosa language lessons, interact with guest speakers who are change agents in the Makhanda (Grahamstown) community, embark on a walking township tour led by residents, and visit local artists who sell beadwork, locally sourced fabrics, and other assorted crafts.
The trip is for anyone 18+, so it is not limited to college/graduate students.
I would love to pass this information along to the GSA (and anyone else you may think is of interest). Please feel free to reach out with any questions!
I appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Rachael Specht
Communications BA 2022
University at Buffalo
(716) 225-9332
rspecht@buffalo.edu