From L to R: PYA Directors – Craig Jones, Antoinette Charles-Aqui; Ms. Nowetu Luti, Deputy Chief of Mission; Michelle Riley Jones, PYA Executive Director; Ambassador Mninwa Mahlunga; PYA Director, Kathryn Niles-Jolly; and Pamela Bond, Advisor.
Project YES Africa was honored to help commemorate the second anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s passing, at the South African Embassy in Washington, DC on Friday, December 4, 2015.
Hosted by South Africa’s Ambassador to the US, Mninwa Mahlangu, the Ambassador welcomed Project YES Africa’s leadership team, along with other groups, including a local girl scout troop, a student delegation from Princeton, and the South African-based 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day as they formally launched their US chapter at this event. The event opened with the singing of the South African National Anthem; remarks by the Ambassador, the Chief of Mission, and the Secretary of Public Diplomacy; and was highlighted by a presentation by 67 Blankets and their blankets being laid at Mandela’s statue outside the Embassy; as well as performances by children from the ORR Elementary School (which is the SA Embassy’s adopted school under the DC Public Schools Embassy Adoption Programme); closing with a luncheon with the Ambassador for all invited guests.
“Having visited South Africa just weeks before Madiba’s passing, we gave a wholehearted “YES!” when invited to share in this presigious commemoration of this great world leader with Ambassador Mahlangu, Chief of Mission, Ms. Nowetu Luti, and Secretary of Public Diplomacy, Mr. Ndumiso Mngadi” said Michelle Riley Jones, Executive Director and one of Project YES Africa’s Co-founders.
Project YES Africa was launched after a group of 8 Washington, DC area professionals traveled to South Africa in late 2013. After completing a service project for a pre-school in a township outside of Cape Town, the group pooled their collective experiences to form the non-profit organization targeting their efforts towards the development and education of school-aged children in underserved areas of South Africa.
The quality of education for children remains a major challenge due to the long-standing effects of racial segregation, poverty, and unemployment. Whether building child-friendly schools, providing educational materials, training teachers, or providing funding for care—Project YES Africa’s mission is to support a child’s right to quality education and reduce the disparities in education for children in South Africa. Our goal, through education, is to lift children in the poorest areas of South Africa out of poverty —and with them, their families and entire communities.
For more information about Project YES Africa, visit www.projectyesafrica.org,
and visit www.nelsonmandela.org to find out more about International Nelson Mandela Day.
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