In May, eleven students from the Global Scholars Program (GSP) and five students from the Michigan Community Scholars Program (MCSP) spent three weeks in Makhanda, South Africa on a service learning trip in coordination with education nonprofit Inkululeko and supported by a grant from the African Studies Center

GSP and MCSP students helped Inkululeko program learners from Ntsika and Nyaluza High Schools with their college applications, collaborated with Inkululeko colleagues and Rhodes University students to run a Career Day program for local high school students, and led a session of Inkululeko’s Business Skills Course.

GSP and MCSP students also enjoyed helping Inkululeko’s team paint the interior and exterior of the Common Ground Cafe, a repurposed shipping container that supports local entrepreneurs. 

Another highlight was reading author Tokelo Hlagala’s book Poor Folk/s and then meeting Tokelo and his editor, Zuko Gqadavama, who is also an Inkululeko team member. 

GSP and MCSP would like to thank the UM African Studies Center and the Sprayregen Global Scholars Fund for their generous support for this service learning opportunity.