Background OF WORLD CHANGERS

STATE OF THE NATION

South Africa is facing a high rate of around 40% unemployment, which greatly contributes to many other problems, such as crime, violence, HIV/AIDS and many other social ills. The many problems of the past have crippled a high percentage of South Africa’s population. South Africa is in a great time of transition and many are desperately looking for answers to society’s problems.  In this transition period, many have become better off and many others' conditions have worsened.  Many prophets of doom predict that South Africa will go the same destructive route of other African countries with corruption and poverty plaguing the country.   However, there are also many good signs in South Africa, not least being the relatively peaceful transition from Apartheid to multi-party democracy. 

Encouragingly, much is already being done.  The government, NGO’s and others have tried many various approaches to tackle the above-mentioned problems, with varying degrees of success.  There has tended to be more of an emphasis on tackling the fruits of the problems.  For example, hospices for those dying with AIDS, promotion of condom use rather than lifestyle change, orphanages for kids with no parents, more policing and jails for the criminals, and more social food and aid grants for the poor.  What is ultimately needed, however, is a holistic approach that still tackles the fruits of the problems, but focuses on dealing with the root problems.

To deal with the roots of South Africa's problems, people’s minds are in need of renewal.  People need hope to overcome seemingly hopeless situations, vision to claim a better future, initiative to make something out of nothing, and integrity to counter corruption and broken value systems.

The leaders of World Changers Academy believe that these attributes are the key missing components to bringing positive transformation to people, communities, nations and the world.  Without focusing on these core values, people will forever be mopping up a floor that is wet due to a leak in the faucet, without fixing the leak.  Also, within South Africa there is a great resource of skilled, principled and experienced people.  These human resources need to be harnessed to empower the disadvantaged.

HISTORY OF WORLD CHANGERS ACADEMY

Someone once asked, “How can I change the world?  I’m just an insignificant, simple nobody.”  A wise man replied, “It’s not difficult to change the world.  After all, to change the world, you need to start by changing your nation.  To change your nation, you need to change your community.  To change your community, you need to change your family.  To change your family, you need to first change yourself.”  This is what World Changers Academy (WCA) is all about – helping young people to change their own lives for the better so that they can go out and change the world for good.

WCA was born when several people came together who shared a similar vision  Joe White, a young American, had been living in a semi-rural Zulu community in the Valley of a Thousand Hills for 5 years, working to uplift the community spiritually, socially and economically.  Initially, he provided computer training and other programmes mostly to local youth, but became increasingly dissatisfied, as although some individuals found opportunities, their mindsets were not necessarily changed.  Joe had a vision to combine all these types of empowerment – spiritual, social and economical – into one initiative.  Joe has primarily played the roles as the visionary, strategist and implementer of World Changers programmes.  One person compared him to being the “mind” of the organization.  Sizwe Mthembu, a pastor, teacher and businessman from northern Zululand, had a similar vision to see a combination of spiritual, social and economic renewal.  Sizwe has also played a visionary role, but has been particularly effective in helping to bring about tangible change in the lives of most of World Changers students and staff.  He has been recognised as the “heart” of the organization.  Thea Haavet, a TV producer and journalist from Norway, also joined the initiative, sharing the same passion and bringing in creative ideas.  Together, they birthed what is now known as World Changers Academy (WCA).

The first programme of WCA was a three-month, full-time training for 100 unemployed people in KwaNyuswa (in the Valley) that started in August 2002.  With limited resources, little structured planning, but lots of vision and relationships with key people, the course was a resounding success.  Over 50 top leaders (e.g. parliamentarians, CEO’s of multinational companies, etc.) came to speak on relevant life skills topics for these aspiring workers to succeed in life.  These topics included goal setting, relationships, social concern, business skills and leadership.  In addition, the students learned computer skills.  Many lives were transformed through the programme, with the students having new hopes for their futures.  Several of the students came out of bad criminal backgrounds, but changed so radically that they won the awards for best students.  One of them, Vusi, took over leadership of the centre in KwaNyuswa only six months after the completion of his course.  He has trained hundreds of youth and he speaks a message of hope wherever he goes - to prisons, in the community, through media (through many appearances on television, radio and newspapers) and to youth everywhere.  He has also gone beyond “the call of duty” and started his own organisation, Light Providers, which now how about 10 volunteers, half of them full-time.  This organisation reaches out to the local community in many ways, including continuing to run life skills programmes.  Another student and former drug dealer, Msizi, has been with World Changers since its inception and now holds one of the three executive positions as Programmes Manager, a department that has over 25 of WCA’s staff.  A study six months after the course found that about half of the students had found jobs, volunteer positions, or were enrolled in training institutions.

In March of 2003, only a few months after the completion of the first successful life skills course, Joe, Sizwe and Thea, launched a leadership programme for 25 emerging community leaders from over 15 different communities, mostly around Durban and the South Coast of KwaZulu Natal.  This 12-week, part residential, part community outreach programme was also a great success, and many more leadership courses have since followed.  Many of WCA's staff over the years have been students from this first leadership programme.

In July 2003, Joe launched a 7 day residential leadership programmes for high school students and Vusi, the student from the first life skills course mentioned above, pioneered the first life skills programme for high school students at the end of 2003. Now, the high schools department runs weekly life skills sessions in 10-20 schools per year simultaneously.

Since these humble beginnings, many thousands of lives have been impacted through the various programmes of WCA.  Click here current statistics.

Page last updated on 19 February 2008

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