Sunday, April 13, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Second Response
Wow you have a really long blog! I am sorry I was not able to comment on your blog earlier but sickness has slowed my posting down greatly. You have a wealth of information that supports your thesis and does so without straying from the topic. I was very interesting seeing you comparing Oprah with another well doer. This is because the only person you normally hear about in the news in terms of charity work is Oprah. I was interested to see another women's efforts to help needy children in Africa. Your thesis was very narrow and I am surprised you were able to find the amount of information that you did on your topic. Your blog is very interesting and helps its reader to see more than one person.
Thor
Thor
One of the most interesting things that I have found through my research was through the pictures. If you look at Oprah's school and then look at where these orphans are sleeping, there is such an amazing difference. But, everyone in both places are as happy as can be. No one is thinking about how unlucky they are because they have to sleep in a hut or on the floor, or have to walk 7 miles to get to school.
Compare this picture to the one above it!!!!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Response
Katie,
Your conclusion almost made me cry. Just so you know. Anyways, the pictures of the contrast between the two orphanages is amazing, and I'm sure that the children of both are equally grateful for the chance they've been given. I think that Janet Littlefield would probably be incredible touched to be compared to someone like Oprah!
Your conclusion almost made me cry. Just so you know. Anyways, the pictures of the contrast between the two orphanages is amazing, and I'm sure that the children of both are equally grateful for the chance they've been given. I think that Janet Littlefield would probably be incredible touched to be compared to someone like Oprah!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Conclusion
While doing this iSearch I have learned a lot, not only about two places in the world, thousands of miles from Maine, but about how people can make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. My thesis is just about how two women are changing the lives of children in Africa, but I realized that I can change lives, too.
Most of the information that I found told me about Oprah Winfrey's school in South Africa or the orphanage that Janet Littlefield is running in Malawi. Research covered matters like how schools and clinics were built, how much money it costs to run a facility, how many people are served, and other general and basic "facts". However, parts of the information were not about the "facts", it was about life, love of humanity, and a willingness to work. Oprah and Janet both work(ed) incredibly hard to make their dreams of helping others a reality. Although Janet and Oprah both come from different financial backgrounds, they both want to do the same thing. They both want to help. Even though they helped in different ways, one thought that education and high class comfort was the way, and the other thought that having a simple roof over their head and three meals a day was just as valuable, perhaps more. The Littlefield Home is often about survival and Oprah’s school is about providing a rich opportunity. They both thought of the same end result; giving children a chance to have a chance. Many of these children, like so many other children in Africa will die at a rather young age due to AIDS, malnutrition, poverty and poor living conditions. These two women are reaching their hands and hearts out to these children and helping them. They are giving them food and education and better living conditions. These children have hope thanks to two very different women. Oprah is Oprah and Janet Littlefield is a high school teacher in Maine. Oprah is a billionaire and Janet is the daughter of a Maine teacher.
The conclusion that I have made throughout this research project is that it does not matter who you are. You may be black, white, young, old, rich, poor, smart or dumb, but you can still make a difference. You can touch one person or one thousand. All you need is a heart, and it just needs to be in the right place.
Most of the information that I found told me about Oprah Winfrey's school in South Africa or the orphanage that Janet Littlefield is running in Malawi. Research covered matters like how schools and clinics were built, how much money it costs to run a facility, how many people are served, and other general and basic "facts". However, parts of the information were not about the "facts", it was about life, love of humanity, and a willingness to work. Oprah and Janet both work(ed) incredibly hard to make their dreams of helping others a reality. Although Janet and Oprah both come from different financial backgrounds, they both want to do the same thing. They both want to help. Even though they helped in different ways, one thought that education and high class comfort was the way, and the other thought that having a simple roof over their head and three meals a day was just as valuable, perhaps more. The Littlefield Home is often about survival and Oprah’s school is about providing a rich opportunity. They both thought of the same end result; giving children a chance to have a chance. Many of these children, like so many other children in Africa will die at a rather young age due to AIDS, malnutrition, poverty and poor living conditions. These two women are reaching their hands and hearts out to these children and helping them. They are giving them food and education and better living conditions. These children have hope thanks to two very different women. Oprah is Oprah and Janet Littlefield is a high school teacher in Maine. Oprah is a billionaire and Janet is the daughter of a Maine teacher.
The conclusion that I have made throughout this research project is that it does not matter who you are. You may be black, white, young, old, rich, poor, smart or dumb, but you can still make a difference. You can touch one person or one thousand. All you need is a heart, and it just needs to be in the right place.
Oprah
I just want to let everyone know that I emailed Oprah again. I am still waiting for a response from the previous emails, but I just wanted to give an update.
Janet Littlefield
Janet first went to Malawi when she was in the Peace Corps. This is just some information about her and what she is doing.
RPCV Janet Littlefield has built an orphanage in in the village of Chigamba to shelter, feed, and give medical care to homelss children
Littlefield said during the next few years she would like to raise between $30,000 and $40,000 annually to expand the orphanage and build a medical clinic, dining room and library, a roof for the schoolhouse and more living facilities to take in more orphans.
RPCV Janet Littlefield has built an orphanage in in the village of Chigamba to shelter, feed, and give medical care to homelss children
Hebron Academy teacher founder of African orphanage
By Rebecca Goldfine, Staff Writer
Thursday, September 7,2006
HEBRON - Before there was an orphanage in the village of Chigamba, Malawi, homeless children had to survive by begging, often wearing the only clothes they owned.
But since 2003, with the dedication and donations of a 30-year-old teacher at Hebron Academy who has built an orphanage there, local children have been sheltered, fed and given medical care.
And the orphanage is impacting more than just children in Malawi. This summer, Janet Littlefield brought four teenagers from the academy with her to Chigamba for a month-long trip that affected the students and fortified her mission.
"It changed their lives going there; they think differently," Littlefield said about the students. "The other part was for the orphans and to show them that we care and others care and to trust that we will be there to support them."
Littlefield, a science teacher originally from Union, started the home in 2003 with money she donated from her teaching salary and from fundraisers. Since then, the orphanage has grown from 20 children to 56. They are cared for by a staff of 14 teachers and workers.
An international AIDs charity called Avert reported that in 2005 more than half a million children in Malawi had been orphaned by AIDs. By 2003, roughly 14 percent of the country's adult population had been infected with HIV, according to data from the United Nations Development Programme.
Littlefield first went to Malawi as a Peace Corps volunteer after she graduated from Skidmore College in 1998. She was assigned to teach in the Ntaja region in the small, landlocked African nation tucked between Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia.
While there, she funded the education of an orphan almost her age name Shaibu Kaliati, who today is the director of the Little Field Home, named by the staff in honor of its founder.
Submitted photo Janet Littlefield of Hebron Academy is surrounded by children from the Littlefield Orphanage, which now shelters and educates 50 children. .
Littlefield sends the money, Kaliati oversees the orphanage. Littlefield guesses so far the investment into the orphanage has totaled $15,000.
During the recent trip to Chigamba, the four Hebron Academy students slept on the cement floor of the home along with the children, living without electricity or running water. They taught seminars on nutrition, AIDs, goat husbandry and health.
The group was met with singing by the villagers.
Sarah Irish, an academy senior, said the rough living conditions were made bearable by the hospitality of the villagers. "There is no running water, the bathroom was a hole in ground, but the people were really nice, so you didn't notice," she said.
"It's always been my dream to help other countries and impoverished places," Kelley Hilton, another student on the trip, said recently. While there, she taught basic health care, such as how to wash hands, apply band-aids and use toothbrushes.
Hilton graduated from the academy this spring and is studying pre-med at the University of New England. She described being astonished by how much the people in Chigamba appreciated small things, even what she considered trash.
"We had a flashlight container, a plastic case you carry flashlights in," Hilton said. "The next day it was a toy."
Irish taught a course in nutrition. "It was just stuff I knew from living in America, from having access to things." She continued, "Going to third world countries you think people are going to be very upset, but they just want to be able to live where they live, but healthily."
Amanda Robinson, now a freshman at the University of Maine, helped workers with their goats to improve breeding and successfully birth healthy kids, based on her own experience raising sheep, Littlefield said.
Laurisa Barthen, a senior at the academy, ran an AIDS/HIV workshop in Chigamba Village. She also recently raised $1,500 for the home in a fundraiser in her hometown of Atlanta, Ga. held at a restaurant that allowed her to throw a silent auction and wine tasting event.
Littlefield said during the next few years she would like to raise between $30,000 and $40,000 annually to expand the orphanage and build a medical clinic, dining room and library, a roof for the schoolhouse and more living facilities to take in more orphans.
A spring walk-athon in Hebron raised $5,000, and matched with $2,000 from other donations, the orphanage was able to buy a minibus. The bus provides an income to the home because it serves as a taxi for locals.
The home costs about $1,000 a month to run and to feed even more children than it houses. Last spring, Littlefield officially launched a nonprofit called Friends of Little Field Home, and information is available on the home at www.littlefieldhome.org .
And Littlefield hopes to keep going, creating a chain of orphanages based on this model.
"My goal is this is not the last orphanage to help," she said. "It is so hard for me to watch kids who have no opportunity to improve their life. Every kid deserves to have all that."
http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/467/2059360.html
RPCV Janet Littlefield has built an orphanage in in the village of Chigamba to shelter, feed, and give medical care to homelss children
Littlefield said during the next few years she would like to raise between $30,000 and $40,000 annually to expand the orphanage and build a medical clinic, dining room and library, a roof for the schoolhouse and more living facilities to take in more orphans.
RPCV Janet Littlefield has built an orphanage in in the village of Chigamba to shelter, feed, and give medical care to homelss children
Hebron Academy teacher founder of African orphanage
By Rebecca Goldfine, Staff Writer
Thursday, September 7,2006
HEBRON - Before there was an orphanage in the village of Chigamba, Malawi, homeless children had to survive by begging, often wearing the only clothes they owned.
But since 2003, with the dedication and donations of a 30-year-old teacher at Hebron Academy who has built an orphanage there, local children have been sheltered, fed and given medical care.
And the orphanage is impacting more than just children in Malawi. This summer, Janet Littlefield brought four teenagers from the academy with her to Chigamba for a month-long trip that affected the students and fortified her mission.
"It changed their lives going there; they think differently," Littlefield said about the students. "The other part was for the orphans and to show them that we care and others care and to trust that we will be there to support them."
Littlefield, a science teacher originally from Union, started the home in 2003 with money she donated from her teaching salary and from fundraisers. Since then, the orphanage has grown from 20 children to 56. They are cared for by a staff of 14 teachers and workers.
An international AIDs charity called Avert reported that in 2005 more than half a million children in Malawi had been orphaned by AIDs. By 2003, roughly 14 percent of the country's adult population had been infected with HIV, according to data from the United Nations Development Programme.
Littlefield first went to Malawi as a Peace Corps volunteer after she graduated from Skidmore College in 1998. She was assigned to teach in the Ntaja region in the small, landlocked African nation tucked between Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia.
While there, she funded the education of an orphan almost her age name Shaibu Kaliati, who today is the director of the Little Field Home, named by the staff in honor of its founder.
Submitted photo Janet Littlefield of Hebron Academy is surrounded by children from the Littlefield Orphanage, which now shelters and educates 50 children. .
Littlefield sends the money, Kaliati oversees the orphanage. Littlefield guesses so far the investment into the orphanage has totaled $15,000.
During the recent trip to Chigamba, the four Hebron Academy students slept on the cement floor of the home along with the children, living without electricity or running water. They taught seminars on nutrition, AIDs, goat husbandry and health.
The group was met with singing by the villagers.
Sarah Irish, an academy senior, said the rough living conditions were made bearable by the hospitality of the villagers. "There is no running water, the bathroom was a hole in ground, but the people were really nice, so you didn't notice," she said.
"It's always been my dream to help other countries and impoverished places," Kelley Hilton, another student on the trip, said recently. While there, she taught basic health care, such as how to wash hands, apply band-aids and use toothbrushes.
Hilton graduated from the academy this spring and is studying pre-med at the University of New England. She described being astonished by how much the people in Chigamba appreciated small things, even what she considered trash.
"We had a flashlight container, a plastic case you carry flashlights in," Hilton said. "The next day it was a toy."
Irish taught a course in nutrition. "It was just stuff I knew from living in America, from having access to things." She continued, "Going to third world countries you think people are going to be very upset, but they just want to be able to live where they live, but healthily."
Amanda Robinson, now a freshman at the University of Maine, helped workers with their goats to improve breeding and successfully birth healthy kids, based on her own experience raising sheep, Littlefield said.
Laurisa Barthen, a senior at the academy, ran an AIDS/HIV workshop in Chigamba Village. She also recently raised $1,500 for the home in a fundraiser in her hometown of Atlanta, Ga. held at a restaurant that allowed her to throw a silent auction and wine tasting event.
Littlefield said during the next few years she would like to raise between $30,000 and $40,000 annually to expand the orphanage and build a medical clinic, dining room and library, a roof for the schoolhouse and more living facilities to take in more orphans.
A spring walk-athon in Hebron raised $5,000, and matched with $2,000 from other donations, the orphanage was able to buy a minibus. The bus provides an income to the home because it serves as a taxi for locals.
The home costs about $1,000 a month to run and to feed even more children than it houses. Last spring, Littlefield officially launched a nonprofit called Friends of Little Field Home, and information is available on the home at www.littlefieldhome.org .
And Littlefield hopes to keep going, creating a chain of orphanages based on this model.
"My goal is this is not the last orphanage to help," she said. "It is so hard for me to watch kids who have no opportunity to improve their life. Every kid deserves to have all that."
http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/467/2059360.html
Fourth Response
Katie-
I can tell from reading your blog that you are really into this iSearch project this year. It's really nice that you try'd to contact Oprah and the other school teacher, this shows your devotion to your blog and in whole this iSearch project. Emailing them is an amazing resource, and it's too bad that contact from Oprah hasn't been made. It is evident that you have spent alot of time on this, and I feel that you have really connected with your topic. Your information is well thought ut, and I'm glad to see that you have put your own ideas into your information. A nice thesis is helpful too, and I'm glad to see that you've got into a state where which you work with. Overall a superb job. Nice job.
I can tell from reading your blog that you are really into this iSearch project this year. It's really nice that you try'd to contact Oprah and the other school teacher, this shows your devotion to your blog and in whole this iSearch project. Emailing them is an amazing resource, and it's too bad that contact from Oprah hasn't been made. It is evident that you have spent alot of time on this, and I feel that you have really connected with your topic. Your information is well thought ut, and I'm glad to see that you have put your own ideas into your information. A nice thesis is helpful too, and I'm glad to see that you've got into a state where which you work with. Overall a superb job. Nice job.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
third response
Katie-
Wow!! It's very evident how much time you've spent on your subject and how much you care about it. Even though Oprah hasn't responded yet, I think it's great that you made such a huge effort to let her know how much you care about these kids and how much you want to help, too. I loved it when you talked about how privileged we all are and we don't even know it. Like when you were talking about how far most African kids walk to go to school and they don't complain because of how much they want to actually go to school and really get an education. Most of the people at Lincoln hate school but they really don't know just how lucky they really are. Great job, Katie!!! :)
Wow!! It's very evident how much time you've spent on your subject and how much you care about it. Even though Oprah hasn't responded yet, I think it's great that you made such a huge effort to let her know how much you care about these kids and how much you want to help, too. I loved it when you talked about how privileged we all are and we don't even know it. Like when you were talking about how far most African kids walk to go to school and they don't complain because of how much they want to actually go to school and really get an education. Most of the people at Lincoln hate school but they really don't know just how lucky they really are. Great job, Katie!!! :)
Monday, February 25, 2008
Response
Katie
I agree with Isaac it is quite obvious the amount of time and effort spent on your blog. I found the responses you got from Janet Littlefield very interesting and I think its great that you're making the comparison between her efforts and Oprah's. The pictures you put on the sidebar were a great visual as well in contrasting the two different organizations. Oprah's is of course much bigger and grander but I think what Janet Littlefield is doing is just as good if not better. In conclusion I think you have done an excellent job on your blog and I'm also glad you were able to narrow down your topic.
I agree with Isaac it is quite obvious the amount of time and effort spent on your blog. I found the responses you got from Janet Littlefield very interesting and I think its great that you're making the comparison between her efforts and Oprah's. The pictures you put on the sidebar were a great visual as well in contrasting the two different organizations. Oprah's is of course much bigger and grander but I think what Janet Littlefield is doing is just as good if not better. In conclusion I think you have done an excellent job on your blog and I'm also glad you were able to narrow down your topic.
Final Response
Katie, I think that the effort you put into this blog is quite evident as you read through it. I think it is great how you sent the emails to Janet Littlefield and Oprah, along with the interview questions. That was a very smart decision and I think it helped you grasp the similarities and differences between the two women. Although you haven't gotten a response from Oprah yet, I think that you are right in saying that these two women are quite alike. After all, their intentions are similar, and they are both working very hard to make a difference in the lives of many children. I think this thesis/topic was very fitting to base your I-Search off of, and I can't wait to read and see what else you discover.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Second Responses
As Patrick said, wow. It's very evident that you have put your heart into your topic and I think that's really important. You definitely have collected a lot of useful information that really went in depth with your thesis statement. The fact that you also got that interview with Janet Littlefield, as you said, added a lot to your blog. I've never really learned anything about Africa, so reading your blog definitely showed me a lot. I agree with one of your statements that Oprah and Janet Littlefield are actually quite similar. They both have the same intentions, even if they have different ways going about it. I really enjoyed reading your blog and I look forward to reading more.
Wow
Talk about effective use of your resources!
I'm glad you finally found a thesis you are happy with, and also glad that you care so much about your topic. It is pretty amazing how you have utilized first had information for your iSearch. This make the project a little more "real" for me. Now that you have so much information about both schools a little more personal response would be great! Keep it up, it is cirtiantly a very strong project!
I'm glad you finally found a thesis you are happy with, and also glad that you care so much about your topic. It is pretty amazing how you have utilized first had information for your iSearch. This make the project a little more "real" for me. Now that you have so much information about both schools a little more personal response would be great! Keep it up, it is cirtiantly a very strong project!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
About the School
The Learners
The Curriculum
The curriculum is based on South Africa’s national standards
Classes include:
Ratio of teachers to students 1:15
Culture
Facilities
52 acres
28 buildings
Street of Living
Street of Learning
Extra-curricular Activities include
______________________________________________________________________________
What do you think would happen if you or I spent a couple days at Oprah's school and a couple days at the Littlefield Home? I thought about this question for a while about this question, and came up with the conclusion that many would rather stay at Oprah’s school. To put it simply, it's gorgeous, it has resources that many schools in Africa can only dream about, and it has running water. (We may not think that this is a big deal, but for Africa, it is.) But really think, would you be any happier at Oprah's school than you would at the Littlefield Home? Put yourself in the shoes of a child from each place. Picture yourself living their life. You have their background. You may not know where your family is, maybe you have HIV-AIDS. I bet that you would be happy at both places. You have food, a roof over your head, an education, and most of all you have a family, even if they might not be blood relatives.
After seeing both places and then comparing them I came up with the conclusion that for a child in Africa, it does not matter whether you are living in a palace or a mud hut, as long as you know that you are safe, and there are people who love you and you know that there is hope: you are happy.
- "The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls - South Africa offers girls in grades 7 through 12 an opportunity to develop their full intellectual, social and leadership potential. To be eligible to attend, girls must be South African, academically talented, able to demonstrate leadership qualities and come from a disadvantaged family or community."
The Curriculum
- "The Academy follows a rigorous, dynamic and innovative curriculum designed to develop critical, questioning minds in preparation for university study."
The curriculum is based on South Africa’s national standards
Classes include:
- Mathematics
- Science
- Technology
- Arts
- Culture
- Social science
- Economic science
- Management science
- Life orientation
- Leadership
- Languages
Ratio of teachers to students 1:15
- Lots of opportunities for collaboration and one-on-one learning
Culture
- Theme of leadership and leadership development is mixed in through the Academy in both academic and social settings.
- Leadership is rooted in South Africa’s principle of ubuntu/batho - the ideals of humanity, compassion and service
- Incorporated in the way the students think, communicate and interact with others
Facilities
52 acres
28 buildings
Street of Living
- Dormitories
Street of Learning
- 21 classrooms
- Each has an outdoor study area
- SMART board technology
- 6 labs
- Art
- Science
- Computer and design technology
- Also Has
- Computer Lab
- 10,000 volume library
- 600+ seat theatre with multi-functional stage
- Music rooms
- Amphitheater
- Sports fields
- Gym
- Wellness Center
Extra-curricular Activities include
- Netball
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Yoga
- Dance
- Choir and other musical group
______________________________________________________________________________
What do you think would happen if you or I spent a couple days at Oprah's school and a couple days at the Littlefield Home? I thought about this question for a while about this question, and came up with the conclusion that many would rather stay at Oprah’s school. To put it simply, it's gorgeous, it has resources that many schools in Africa can only dream about, and it has running water. (We may not think that this is a big deal, but for Africa, it is.) But really think, would you be any happier at Oprah's school than you would at the Littlefield Home? Put yourself in the shoes of a child from each place. Picture yourself living their life. You have their background. You may not know where your family is, maybe you have HIV-AIDS. I bet that you would be happy at both places. You have food, a roof over your head, an education, and most of all you have a family, even if they might not be blood relatives.
After seeing both places and then comparing them I came up with the conclusion that for a child in Africa, it does not matter whether you are living in a palace or a mud hut, as long as you know that you are safe, and there are people who love you and you know that there is hope: you are happy.
History and Mission
History
Henley on Klip in Gauteng province
- December 2000- During a visit with Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey told him that she would build a school for girls
- December 6, 2002- Mandela, the Minister of Education Kader Asmal and Winfrey broke broke the ground of the school.
- January 2, 2007- Academy opened officially for 7th and 8th grade girls.
- The school will add one grade each year until 2011, when it will have reached its fullest capacity, grades 7-12.
- To support a new generation of young female leaders who will, through virtue and education, transform themselves, their communities and the world around them.
- The school provides a supportive educational environment for talented girls with disadvantaged backgrounds.
Henley on Klip in Gauteng province
Monday, February 11, 2008
I found the actual website of the school and I found a different way to contact Oprah. Here is a copy of what I sent.
I previously tried to contact Ms. Winfrey but have not gotten a response. I have a list of questions about what you are doing for a class project (http://katiesblog202.blogspot.com). If you are willing to answer them please email me.
Thanks
Katie
http://oprahwinfreyleadershipacademy.o-philanthropy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=owla_contact_us
I am still waiting for a response from either message.
I previously tried to contact Ms. Winfrey but have not gotten a response. I have a list of questions about what you are doing for a class project (http://katiesblog202.blogspot.com). If you are willing to answer them please email me.
Thanks
Katie
http://oprahwinfreyleadershipacademy.o-philanthropy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=owla_contact_us
I am still waiting for a response from either message.
I e-mail these questions to Janet, but I am still waiting for a response.
Dear Ms. Littlefield,
I am so glad that you are willing to help me. I think that it will add a real personal touch to my blog and final project.
1. When did you first go to Africa?
2. Why/how did you choose Africa and later on Malawi for your work with orphans?
3. Do you have any favorite success stories? If so, can you describe one?
4. What do you see as the biggest problem that you have not yet fixed?
5. On your website it gives a little bit of background information, but I still had some additional questions. When did the Littlefield Home get started? How did you came up with the idea? Why did you choose an orphanage? What was the the process you went through to make the orphanage? Feel free to add additional comments.
6. What is the hardest part of running the Littlefield Home?
7. Your website details some of your plans for the future. These all seem to be near future plans but what about long term plans?
8. What is the best part of your job?
9. How often do you go to the orphanage and how many of those times do you bring American students?
10. What do these students do at the orphanage?
11. If kids in my class were interested in going with you on a trip to help the Littlefield Home, would they be able to?
12. How do the children come to be at the Littlefield Home? Do they just come, or are the sent? Are they HIV/AIDS orphans?
13. In my World Studies class I am doing a service learning project on malnutrition and I was wondering, how many of the children that come to you are malnourished?
14. Is there some kind of network of other service organizations in the community? In Malawi? In western Africa? Do you share resources and information?
15. It says on the website that the Littlefield Home is in Chigamba Village, but I would like to know the exact geographic location since I cannot find it on any map?
You are welcome to tell me anything that you feel with help me with my blog and project.
Thank you so much for being so supportive,
Katie
Dear Ms. Littlefield,
I am so glad that you are willing to help me. I think that it will add a real personal touch to my blog and final project.
1. When did you first go to Africa?
2. Why/how did you choose Africa and later on Malawi for your work with orphans?
3. Do you have any favorite success stories? If so, can you describe one?
4. What do you see as the biggest problem that you have not yet fixed?
5. On your website it gives a little bit of background information, but I still had some additional questions. When did the Littlefield Home get started? How did you came up with the idea? Why did you choose an orphanage? What was the the process you went through to make the orphanage? Feel free to add additional comments.
6. What is the hardest part of running the Littlefield Home?
7. Your website details some of your plans for the future. These all seem to be near future plans but what about long term plans?
8. What is the best part of your job?
9. How often do you go to the orphanage and how many of those times do you bring American students?
10. What do these students do at the orphanage?
11. If kids in my class were interested in going with you on a trip to help the Littlefield Home, would they be able to?
12. How do the children come to be at the Littlefield Home? Do they just come, or are the sent? Are they HIV/AIDS orphans?
13. In my World Studies class I am doing a service learning project on malnutrition and I was wondering, how many of the children that come to you are malnourished?
14. Is there some kind of network of other service organizations in the community? In Malawi? In western Africa? Do you share resources and information?
15. It says on the website that the Littlefield Home is in Chigamba Village, but I would like to know the exact geographic location since I cannot find it on any map?
You are welcome to tell me anything that you feel with help me with my blog and project.
Thank you so much for being so supportive,
Katie
During a December 2000 visit with Nelson Mandela, Oprah pledged to build a school in South Africa. As that commitment broadened, she established The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation, to which she has contributed more than $40 million toward the creation of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls—South Africa, which opened in January 2007. Located in a 28-building campus in Henley-on-Klip, the Leadership Academy is a state-of-the-art, independent school that engenders high standards of academic achievement and service leadership for girls from all nine South African provinces who show outstanding promise despite their impoverished backgrounds and social circumstances. Her vision is that the Leadership Academy will help develop the future women leaders of South Africa.
http://www.oprah.com/about/press/about_press_bio.jhtml
Below are the some question that teachers can ask their students about the DVD.
Building a Dream:
ABC, Monday, February 26 , 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT and
6. Does anyone know what apartheid means? How did it affect South Africa?
Follow-up: What do you know about South Africa today? How is The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls a unique opportunity?
7. Oprah said she was looking for girls to attend the Leadership Academy who had a special quality she calls "it." What are the qualities a girl with "it" has? Are these important characteristics of a good leader? Who do you know who has "it"?
http://www.nea.org/reviews/building07.html
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I am hoping that I will be able to watch this show. I think that it will be very interesting to learn what was going through Oprah's head when she came up with the idea.
http://www.oprah.com/about/press/about_press_bio.jhtml
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There is a DVD/documentary about the journey that Oprah took to make this school.Below are the some question that teachers can ask their students about the DVD.
Building a Dream:
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy
ABC, Monday, February 26 , 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT and
Saturday, March 3, 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT
This year, Oprah Winfrey opened a Leadership Academy for some of the poorest and brightest girls in South Africa who showed leadership potential. Oprah believes that it is only through education that South Africans will build a brighter future for themselves and their country.
Oprah Winfrey would like to invite you and your students to follow these special 7th and 8th grade students on their journey as they leave their homes and families to meet new friends, test their skills, and face unexpected challenges with the hope that they'll be invited to attend the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls-South Africa.
For Your Classroom
Let Building a Dream: The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy open your students' eyes to the lives of students in South Africa. Encourage them to watch this special primetime event with their family and friends. Then, lead your students through a meaningful conversation following the program.
- What did you learn about education in South Africa? What were some of the obstacles students like Zodwa and Mahlatse faced every day just to attend school? How would you feel in their situation?
- Facts to share: In the United States, the government provides all children with a free education and requires them to attend school. Some of the smartest South African children from disadvantaged and dangerous communities do not have the opportunity to go to school. Their families cannot afford to send them because of the cost of required uniforms and annual school fees.
- Do you know how many South African women between the ages of 15 and 24 can't read?
1 in 5 1 in 10 1 in 20 - Facts to share: Almost 1 in 10 South African women between the ages of 15 and 24 can't read because they have not been able to attend school. When girls learn to read, they are empowered to improve their lives and the lives of their children.
- Follow-up: What does an education mean to girls like Lesego and Thando? What do they hope to achieve for themselves and their country? How are they similar or different from the dreams you have?
- What did you learn about AIDS/HIV in South Africa? What does it mean for the future of South Africa?
- Facts to share: In 2005, 5.5 million South Africans were living with HIV/AIDS. An estimated 18.8 percent of adults ages 15 to 49-the generation responsible for raising children, running government, working for and owning businesses-were living with HIV. That's almost 1 out of 20 adults.
- Ask your students to write a letter to Oprah and the girls about their dreams for the future. What would they do to make the world a better place? How will they be a leader in their own lives? What are their hopes for the girls attending the Leadership Academy?
5. Oprah said, "Love is in the details." How did she include pieces of South African culture into the Leadership Academy?
Facts to share: Many South African cultures have their own way of dressing. Artistic beadwork, fabric colors, patterns and jewelry can show a person's position in the community. Music is also an important part of South African culture. The country is famous for a special kind of a cappella music, which blends traditional African harmonies with choir singing brought to the country by missionaries. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy is filled with murals and other artwork created by local artisans to inspire and celebrate African culture.
6. Does anyone know what apartheid means? How did it affect South Africa?
Facts to share: Until 1990, the South African government practiced apartheid, which is the segregation of people based on race. Non-white citizens were not allowed to vote and were not provided with access to the same quality of education and healthcare. In 1994, the first democratic election was held. For black South Africans, including Nelson Mandela, it was the first time they could vote. In May 1994, after an overwhelming victory, Mandela was inaugurated as the first black president of South Africa.
Follow-up: What do you know about South Africa today? How is The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls a unique opportunity?
7. Oprah said she was looking for girls to attend the Leadership Academy who had a special quality she calls "it." What are the qualities a girl with "it" has? Are these important characteristics of a good leader? Who do you know who has "it"?
http://www.nea.org/reviews/building07.html
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I am hoping that I will be able to watch this show. I think that it will be very interesting to learn what was going through Oprah's head when she came up with the idea.
Friday, February 8, 2008
From Janet
I would love to help you! That is so nice that you chose to compare us and these extreme cases. Most people only know the big names out there who do big things-I have met so many people that are working so hard at the ground level, with so little and have no recognition. So, I feel honored that you would ever compare me to Oprah-that may sound cheesy, but it is very kind. We are working very hard to assist the children! Email me the questions and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks, Janet
Thursday, February 7, 2008
I just e-mailed both Janet Littlefield and Oprah Winfrey. Here are copies of what I wrote:
To Janet Littlefield-
Dear Ms. Littlefield,
I am writing to you for your assistance. For my Pre-AP English class, we had to pick a cultural topic that interested us and then come up with a thesis on an aspect of that topic. From the moment that this was assigned, I knew that I wanted to do something on Africa. I am fascinated on all issues facing that continent, but mostly children and the ways people are trying to help the growing problems of child welfare in Africa.
I had a lot of trouble coming up with a thesis that was not too broad or too narrow. My original thesis was going to compare and contrast two different orphanages in different parts of Africa. Because I am able to contact you, I figured that I would compare the Littlefield Home to another orphanage. My english teacher's son went to South Africa with Hartwick School to an orphanage called Babanango. I found no information on this orphanage. This made me change my thesis. After talking with my mom about another orphanage, she suggested that I do a school instead. She mentioned that Oprah had just opened a school in South Africa. This made me come up with my final thesis: How are two very different women changing the lives of children in Africa.
I was wondering if you could answer some questions about what drew you to Africa and how you got the orphanage started. If you are willing to do this, please e-mail me back and I will forward a list of questions to you.
Thank you so much,
Katie
Dear Ms. Littlefield,
Sorry I did not put this in my other e-mail. You have been invited to my blog about the Littlefield Home and Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls. Here is the website.
http://katiesblog202.blogspot.com/
Feel free to post, or e-mail me directly, which ever you prefer.
Thanks again,
Katie
____________________________________________________________________
To Oprah's People-
Dear Ms. Winfrey,
I am writing to you for your assistance. For my Pre-AP English class, we had to pick a cultural topic that interested us and then come up with a thesis on an aspect of that topic. From the moment that this was assigned, I knew that I wanted to do something on Africa. I am fascinated on all issues facing that continent, but mostly children and the ways people are trying to help the growing problems of child welfare in Africa.
I have contacts with an orphanage in Malawi called the Littlefield Home. It is run by a woman named Janet Littlefield (http://www.littlefieldhome.org/LittleField%20Home.html). Janet is a high school teacher from Maine who had worked in Malawi while in the Peace Corps. I knew that you had just opened a school in South Africa. This made me come up with my thesis: How are two very different women changing the lives of children in Africa.
I was wondering if you could answer some questions about what drew you to Africa and how you got the school started. If you are willing to do this, please e-mail me back and I will forward a list of questions to you.
Thank you so much,
Katie
Dear Ms. Winfrey,
I apologize for not putting this in my previous message. Here is the link to my blog about the Littlefield Home and Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls.
http://katiesblog202.blogspot.com/
Please consider helping me with this project by responding.
Thanks again,
Katie
____________________________________________________________________
Now I just have to wait for someone to e-mail me back. I will update with more information once I get it.
To Janet Littlefield-
Dear Ms. Littlefield,
I am writing to you for your assistance. For my Pre-AP English class, we had to pick a cultural topic that interested us and then come up with a thesis on an aspect of that topic. From the moment that this was assigned, I knew that I wanted to do something on Africa. I am fascinated on all issues facing that continent, but mostly children and the ways people are trying to help the growing problems of child welfare in Africa.
I had a lot of trouble coming up with a thesis that was not too broad or too narrow. My original thesis was going to compare and contrast two different orphanages in different parts of Africa. Because I am able to contact you, I figured that I would compare the Littlefield Home to another orphanage. My english teacher's son went to South Africa with Hartwick School to an orphanage called Babanango. I found no information on this orphanage. This made me change my thesis. After talking with my mom about another orphanage, she suggested that I do a school instead. She mentioned that Oprah had just opened a school in South Africa. This made me come up with my final thesis: How are two very different women changing the lives of children in Africa.
I was wondering if you could answer some questions about what drew you to Africa and how you got the orphanage started. If you are willing to do this, please e-mail me back and I will forward a list of questions to you.
Thank you so much,
Katie
Dear Ms. Littlefield,
Sorry I did not put this in my other e-mail. You have been invited to my blog about the Littlefield Home and Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls. Here is the website.
http://katiesblog202.blogspot.com/
Feel free to post, or e-mail me directly, which ever you prefer.
Thanks again,
Katie
____________________________________________________________________
To Oprah's People-
Dear Ms. Winfrey,
I am writing to you for your assistance. For my Pre-AP English class, we had to pick a cultural topic that interested us and then come up with a thesis on an aspect of that topic. From the moment that this was assigned, I knew that I wanted to do something on Africa. I am fascinated on all issues facing that continent, but mostly children and the ways people are trying to help the growing problems of child welfare in Africa.
I have contacts with an orphanage in Malawi called the Littlefield Home. It is run by a woman named Janet Littlefield (http://www.littlefieldhome.org/LittleField%20Home.html). Janet is a high school teacher from Maine who had worked in Malawi while in the Peace Corps. I knew that you had just opened a school in South Africa. This made me come up with my thesis: How are two very different women changing the lives of children in Africa.
I was wondering if you could answer some questions about what drew you to Africa and how you got the school started. If you are willing to do this, please e-mail me back and I will forward a list of questions to you.
Thank you so much,
Katie
Dear Ms. Winfrey,
I apologize for not putting this in my previous message. Here is the link to my blog about the Littlefield Home and Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls.
http://katiesblog202.blogspot.com/
Please consider helping me with this project by responding.
Thanks again,
Katie
____________________________________________________________________
Now I just have to wait for someone to e-mail me back. I will update with more information once I get it.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
My Thoughts
Once I finally came up with my thesis, I have been doing a lot of thinking. All though my thesis states how two very different women are changing the lives of Africa, are these women really all that different?
Looking deeper into what Janet Littlefield and Oprah Winfrey are actually doing, I came to the conclusion that they are not all that different. Although when you first look at the two people they seem very, very opposite. One (Janet) saves all the money that she can, and relies on others to help support the orphanage and the children, and the other (Oprah) just throws out another million without even putting a dent in her wallet. I'd say that these two women are on very different ends of the spectrum, but are they? Are their intentions and goals really different? After thinking for a while about this question, I decided that no, although their financial situation may be extremely different, they have the same dreams, goals and intentions; to make the lives of poverty stricken children better: to give them a bed and at least one meal every day and an opportunity to learn.
Looking deeper into what Janet Littlefield and Oprah Winfrey are actually doing, I came to the conclusion that they are not all that different. Although when you first look at the two people they seem very, very opposite. One (Janet) saves all the money that she can, and relies on others to help support the orphanage and the children, and the other (Oprah) just throws out another million without even putting a dent in her wallet. I'd say that these two women are on very different ends of the spectrum, but are they? Are their intentions and goals really different? After thinking for a while about this question, I decided that no, although their financial situation may be extremely different, they have the same dreams, goals and intentions; to make the lives of poverty stricken children better: to give them a bed and at least one meal every day and an opportunity to learn.
Notes on Oprah's School
You will get to most information about the school from the below links, but here is some taken from the New York Times website.
These notes were taken from the USA today website.
Campus
Quotes:
"If you are surrounded by beautiful things and wonderful teachers who inspire you, that beauty brings out the beauty in you," she [Winfrey] said.
"I would have had a completely different life is this hadn't happened to me. Now I get a life where I get to be treated like a movie star," she [Lesego Tlhabanyane, 13] said.
- $40 million school "to give this opportunity to gilrs who had a light so bright that not even poverty could dim that light."
- Took around 6 years to finalize and build
- 28 building campus
- Located in Henley-on-Kip
- South of Johannesburg
- 152 girls ages 11-12
- "It is intended to give girls from deprived backgrounds a quality education."
- "Winfrey said she hoped the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, above, in Henley-on-Klip, south of Johannesburg, could help ''change the face of a nation.'' She added, ''Girls who are educated are less likely to get H.I.V./AIDS, and in this country, which has such a pandemic, we have to begin to change the pandemic.'' Many of the girls come from afflicted families."
- Eventually will accommodate 450 students with a greater age range
- Oprah has made plans to open a second co-ed school in a different part of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal province.
These notes were taken from the USA today website.
- Oprah talks about how her childhood was much like the ones that the girls are living in right now (no water, no electricity), except she had the opportunity of education, which she says is "the most vital aspect of my life."
- Vowed to make the school the "best school in the world" and will continue to support the girls after their education at her school, to the university of their choice-anywhere in the world.
- Idea was first born in 2000 during a meeting between Winfrey and Mandela (former president of South Africa)
- Wanted to build the school in South Africa out of respect and love towards Mandela and also because of her African roots.
- Most other schools that are state-funded are:
- Under white racist rule
- Overcrowded
- Lack basic supplies (books...)
- Gang violence
- Drugs
- High rate of pregnancy in girls
- Top-class studies and sports facilities are not at these schools (at private schools) and are dominated by white kids, even though they are the minority
- 3,500 applicants
- Family income had to be less than $787 a month
- 152 girls ages 11-12 were picked
- School will eventually hold 450 girls
Campus
- 28 buildings
- Computer labs
- State of the art science labs
- Library
- Theater
- Wellness center
Quotes:
"If you are surrounded by beautiful things and wonderful teachers who inspire you, that beauty brings out the beauty in you," she [Winfrey] said.
"I would have had a completely different life is this hadn't happened to me. Now I get a life where I get to be treated like a movie star," she [Lesego Tlhabanyane, 13] said.
Winfrey, who does not have children, said she was building a home for herself on the campus to spend time with the girls and be involved in their education.
"I love these girls with every part of my being. I didn't know you could feel this way about other people's children," she said.
Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls
I have been doing a lot of research on Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls. A lot of the most touching things I have found have been on the radio or videos. I am not sure if I am able to put these videos on my blog, so you will have to go to the website in order to view them.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6741388
This is an interview that just gives some background information on the school.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6716116
This is another interview.
http://www.oprah.com/presents/2007/academy/dream/building_101.jhtml
This website has a lot of pictures of Oprah and the school and some of the girls.
http://www.oprah.com/presents/2007/academy/girls/girls_main.jhtml
These are the stories of 6 girls that were chosen to go to the school.
http://www.oprah.com/presents/2007/academy/dream/opening_101.jhtml
These are pictures of the opening of the school.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6741388
This is an interview that just gives some background information on the school.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6716116
This is another interview.
http://www.oprah.com/presents/2007/academy/dream/building_101.jhtml
This website has a lot of pictures of Oprah and the school and some of the girls.
http://www.oprah.com/presents/2007/academy/girls/girls_main.jhtml
These are the stories of 6 girls that were chosen to go to the school.
http://www.oprah.com/presents/2007/academy/dream/opening_101.jhtml
These are pictures of the opening of the school.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Apology
Sorry everyone, but I changed my thesis again. I was finding it very hard to find information on the second orphanage so I changed my thesis.
NEW THESIS:
How did two very different women change the lives of children in Africa?
I will be talking about the Littlefield Home and also the school for girls that Oprah Winfrey just opened in South Africa. My basic thoughts are that Janet Littlefield does all that she can to help these children. Lots of the money that she raises is in little cans are places where people put dollars, Oprah on the other hands just dumps millions of dollars in to something without even worrying about how it will affect her life style because there is plenty left over. I will also talk about the process the two women went though in order to open the school and orphanage.
NEW THESIS:
How did two very different women change the lives of children in Africa?
I will be talking about the Littlefield Home and also the school for girls that Oprah Winfrey just opened in South Africa. My basic thoughts are that Janet Littlefield does all that she can to help these children. Lots of the money that she raises is in little cans are places where people put dollars, Oprah on the other hands just dumps millions of dollars in to something without even worrying about how it will affect her life style because there is plenty left over. I will also talk about the process the two women went though in order to open the school and orphanage.
Monday, February 4, 2008
The Long Term Goals of the Littlefield Home
The long term goals of the Littlefield home are as follows:
They want to build-
They want to build-
- 8 Houses for the Workers
- School for Grades 6-8
- 3 Classroom Buildings
- Cafeteria with Kitchen
- 6 Homes for Teachers
- School Supplies
- Desks
- Chairs
- Supplies (paper, books...)
- A Bridge-so children can go to school even during the wet season
- Indoor kitchen
- Ambulance
- 2 Vehicles for the Littlefield Home
Education in Malawi
In Malawi, education for grades 1-8 is free, however, many of the schools in Malawi do have a adequate resources and supplies. Many schools do not have roofs, desks and chairs and are not within walking distance. This means that many children miss out on a wonderful opportunity because the school is two far to walk.
High school or secondary school in Malawi costs between $200-$800 dollars. Many familes can not afford this cost so many students do not continue their education.
50 out the 67 children at the Littlefield Home walk to the 1 building school house behind the orphanage, but the school does not go up through 8th grade. These students must walk 12 kilometers to get the the nearest school that offers the 8th grade. (For people who don't know, 12 kilometers is 7.5 miles.)
As I was reading, I was thinking about how fortunate I am. I get a ride to school every morning. I was also thinking about when we had to run 7 miles during cross country practice and all we could do was complain. I bet that these children walk this far without complaining, because they are know that they are fortunate enough to have a great opportunity.
High school or secondary school in Malawi costs between $200-$800 dollars. Many familes can not afford this cost so many students do not continue their education.
50 out the 67 children at the Littlefield Home walk to the 1 building school house behind the orphanage, but the school does not go up through 8th grade. These students must walk 12 kilometers to get the the nearest school that offers the 8th grade. (For people who don't know, 12 kilometers is 7.5 miles.)
As I was reading, I was thinking about how fortunate I am. I get a ride to school every morning. I was also thinking about when we had to run 7 miles during cross country practice and all we could do was complain. I bet that these children walk this far without complaining, because they are know that they are fortunate enough to have a great opportunity.
The Littlefield Home
The Littlefield Home was founded in 2003 by Janet Littlefield. It started out as a 1 hut orphanage that housed 20 homeless children in Chigamba Village, Malawi. Today, the Littlefield Home cares for 67 homeless children and their campus consists of 5 buildings, a medical clinic and 14 workers and teachers.
The mission of the Littlefield Home is to create a independent village by educating the village on education, commerce and health care.
The mission of the Littlefield Home is to create a independent village by educating the village on education, commerce and health care.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
The Two Orphanges
I know of an orphanage in Malawi that I have actually had contact with before. The name of it is the Littlefield Home. The person who runs it is a teacher in Hebron Academy.
The other orphanage is the one Mrs. Jewitt's son went to, but I am waiting for the name.
The other orphanage is the one Mrs. Jewitt's son went to, but I am waiting for the name.
thesis on top
I agree that your thesis question needs to be at the top of your page. I think that you have done a lot of thinking about your choice of topic and about narrowing it down. As you continue your research, I think that you will further refine your question. I will find the pictures and I will also give you my son's e-mail if you would like to ask him specific questions about the orphanage!
title.
I'm really excited that this is your I-search topic since we are studying Africa in World Studes, plus this topic isnt somthing we really talk about. You should focus on if certain orphanages are focused on mainly orphans with AIDS or from Darfur.
I think this is a perfect topic for you, and I like that you are going to provide information about what we as Americans can do to help these African orphanages. I want to know how and why these children end up in orphanages, and what a day in an orphanage would be like. I agree with Chauncey in that it isn't immedietly clear what your topic is until you scroll down. I think you should have a heading that is about your topic. I would also like to know what made you choose this question. Is the focus of your blog to provide suggestions to Americans about what we can do, or what the differences between the two African orphanages is? I also think you should include the difference between African and American orphanages, so that there is some connection to this culture and our own. And what made you choose Africa? What was so different about the orphanages in Africa compared to other places?
Feedback.
This topic is very interesting but it's hard to understand what it is because of your page's lack of a title... Maybe you could use your polished question (if you have developed one) or something along the lines of "Orphans and Orphanages in Africa". You should also maybe look into what the adoption "rates" are and see how many of these children are actually adopted. It would also be interesting if you found out what happens to the children that are not adopted. You could even compare the adoption "rates" in africa to those here in the states and you could also compare the treatment of the children in orphanages around the world.
Thesis
Thesis: How are two different orphanages in two very different locations in Southern Africa the same or different in the ways that they help and support their orphans? What accounts for these differences? What is the best way to help and care for these orphans?
Possible Other Question: What can I do, or we has Americans do to help these people?
Possible Other Question: What can I do, or we has Americans do to help these people?
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The Kids at the Littlefield Home
This is a link that will show you pictures of all the kids currently living at the Littlefield Home. http://www.littlefieldhome.org/Orphan%20Photos.html
