The Morafe Leadership Development Programme is a project of I Am, We Are (IAWA). Founded in 2015 by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Meisha Lerato Robinson (Benin 2000–02 and South Africa 2012) in her Peace Corps Response community, IAWA is a U.S.– and South Africa–registered nonprofit organization that strives to empower youth of African descent with the tools to confidently own their futures. IAWA employs an adaptive socio-ecological model that enables youth to be instruments and agents of their own development while ensuring their environment is a positive, secure space that supports their universal well-being. The organization is dedicated to creating a world where all youth are socially engaged, globally aware, and economically free.
Founded by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Meisha Loreto Robinson, I Am, We Are is dedicated to creating a world where all youth are socially engaged, globally aware, and economically free.
The Morafe Leadership Development Programme is bringing together 20 10th grade learners who are attending Mmanape High School in South Africa with 20 10th graders attending Laurel High School in the United States twice monthly, over six months, for a cross-cultural immersive virtual experience. The program focuses on personal enrichment and professional skills building by including trauma-informed counseling, career coaching, mentoring, and character development programming. While participating in the programme, students are provided with: technology (computers, Wi-Fi modems, earphones, and data); six one-on-one well-being and trauma support counseling sessions; and three group well-being sessions.
Additionally, five South African university students will be trained as peer facilitators in the accompanying Morafe Leadership Fellowship. The Morafe Leadership Fellowship deepens lessons learned from youth programming and trains college-aged young adults to lead IAWA programming and expand their knowledge and leadership to make them competitive applicants for future job opportunities. Recognizing the importance of family involvement in any youth empowerment program, parents also receive updates and training similar to their children. They will get a taste of the programming through interactive newsletters that include exercises they can do with their family. Parents are also connected through opt-in workshops.
LEARN MORE: Hear from IAWA Alumni Ambassadors Milisi and Tsholofelo on how IAWA has been a powerful influence on them. Learn more about IAWA at www.iamweareyouth.org.
Founder Meisha Lerato Robinson is located in Washington, D.C., and travels to South Africa to work with the I Am, We Are team regularly.
NPCA invests 85 percent of the total donations directly to support this project and 15 percent where needed most to support service administration and our overall mission.
