Archive for October, 2009

Ambassador Welile Nhlapo: Presented with the Pillar Award for Professional Achievement by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars

Ambassador Welile Nhlapo received the Pillar Award for Professional Achievement on 19 October 2009. This award was established in 2005.  Past honorees include:

 

• The Honorable Dennis Cardoza: U.S. House of Representatives and alumnus of The Washington Center program
• Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III: President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison: U.S. Senator from Texas

 

The Award recognised Ambassador Nhlapo as an individual who dedicated his life to service, and for making a real difference in the lives of the people of South Africa. He was further recognized for the instrumental role that he played in bringing about an end to apartheid in South Africa.

 

South African Embassy

 

21 October 2009

 

 

 

 

 

President Jacob Zuma congratulates US President Barack Obama on Nobel Peace prize

Pretoria- South African President Jacob Zuma has, today 10 October 2009, congratulated US President Barack Obama on being awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

It is with great pleasure that I received the news and on behalf of myself, the Government and the people of South Africa, I would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere congratulations to you on receiving this honour.

Accordingly, we share your vision for the future and embrace your ideals of a world that is at peace and free of nuclear weapons. as leaders in these challenging times, we need to join together to fulfil our share of the collective responsibility to ensure that generations to come inherit a future that is safe and prosperous.

In this regard, Your leadership has given the world hope and the confidence to embrace each other.in South Africa we have a term in Zulu “UBUNTU”- a person is a person because of others- your leadership reflects the true spirit of Ubuntu because your approach celebrates our common humanity.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurance of my highest consideration.

Issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation
Private Bag x152
Pretoria
0001

10 October 2009

ABC’s television show The View is currently running a contest called “The Ultimate Volunteer” and has chosen ten finalists.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Thursday, October 8, 2009

 

CONTACT:

Contact Person:  Kathleen Olsen

Voice Phone Number:  262-227-1815

FAX Number:  262-783-7166

Email Address:  kwolsen@wi.rr.com

Website URL:  http://www.vote4floridaschools.com/

 

ABC’s “The View” chooses an Orlando FL Teacher as a Finalist for “The Ultimate Volunteer” for her Work with a South African School in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

 

Orlando, FL, Oct. 8, 2006  -  In celebration of volunteerism, ABC’s Emmy Award-winning talk and entertainment program, “The View,” launched a search for America’s “Ultimate Volunteer.”  Linda Martin has been chosen as one of ten finalists (out of 2,000 applicants) in the Ultimate Volunteer contest, partly because of her work helping a school in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.   

 

Help this dedicated teacher/counselor so dedicated to helping in South Africa become “The Ultimate Volunteer” by voting online at The View’s website which is open for voting through Sunday, October 11.   The View’s website at http://theviewultimatevolunteercontest.com/home/.  You just need to click a circle in front of Linda’s name, enter your email address, and click “Vote”. Email addresses are not shared or sold.  

Having dedicated her life to helping children, Linda has been both an elementary school teacher and most recently a guidance counselor in Palm Lake Elementary School in Orlando, FL.  Besides the incredible dedication that she has exhibited in these jobs, she has gone far beyond in helping in both her local and international communities.  Seeing the need for volunteers both in Orlando and at her school’s “sister school” in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Linda started “Kids Who Care”.  Today over 100 students at Palm Lake Elementary School are helping both locally in Orlando and in South Africa by raising funds through a variety of events such as lemonade stands to raise money to help students at Nkomo School.

 

In July, using her own funds, Linda overcame a fear of flying to travel an incredible distance with other teachers to help at Nkomo School, a remote school in northeastern South Africa by painting the school inside and out, bringing needed supplies and sports equipment, and working with the students in their classrooms.  Linda used her own money and funds from her caring kids collected through “Kids Who Care” to buy uniforms for the students of Nkomo School.  Her goal for this current year is to raise funds so all children at Nkomo can have shoes, something that less than half the children now have.  The $250 that she has been given by The View as a finalist will go to this cause.
 
So often dedicated teachers are unsung heroes in helping motivate and educate the next generations worldwide.  Through this contest at The View, it is a chance to honor one very special unsung hero, Linda Martin, who has reached out far beyond her local community to help students in a remote part of South Africa.
 
For more information, visit the website http://www.vote4floridaschools.com/

 

To vote for Linda, please click the link below:
 
http://theviewultimatevolunteercontest.com/home/
 
Linda Martin is the second one down on the left side. Just click in the circle before her name and scroll down to the bottom of the page where you put in your email address.  Then click on the button that says “VOTE”.  
 
YOU ARE ABLE TO VOTE EACH DAY FROM TODAY (OCT. TO SUNDAY, OCT. 11.