Zethu's Commitment
Not even a year has elapsed since Vincent Mai made his commitment to Ubuntu Education Fund at the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting, and it is making a resounding difference in the lives of the orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The numbers are remarkable and telling: Ubuntu has reached 111 OVC and families and created five nodes of care support schools since last September. But the impact of Mai's commitment is most evident in the fact that now thanks to the assistance of Ubuntu, 17 year-old Ntombizethu Ngceza - who goes by Zethu - is making her own commitment.
Zethu is an orphan - she lost both parents to HIV/AIDS. Since her parents' death, Zethu has become mother and father, raising her two siblings. With the help provided by Ubuntu Education Fund, Zethu's life has been turned around. Thanks to the support provided to her, Zethu was inspired to join the ranks of some of the most powerful and influential people in the world by making a CGI commitment.
Zethu's commitment is: "to spread the spirit of Ubuntu to orphaned girls who are younger than me by creating a support group of ten girls to discuss the issues that they are facing and to help them cope, and then meeting with one of Ubuntu's counselors after each support group meeting."
Zethu's commitment shows the true potential of CGI to catalyze a chain of commitments to better our world.
PROFILE
In celebration of its fifth year, the 2009 CGI Annual Meeting focused on results. Brad Pitt returned to the event to report on the commitment he made in 2007 to launch his Make It Right Foundation, devoted to building affordable, energy-efficient homes
