On the 21st June when many were snoring, curdling under the blankets dreaming Boitshoko B, a North West Mafikeng campus communication post graduate student woke up and lived her dream. To her this date will always be memorable.
She was amongst 32 winners in South Africa who entered the essay competition,which was run by Solomon Mahlangu freedom college (SOMAFCO TRUST). Through the support of the independent development Trust (IDT) the SOMAFCO Trust has been able to annualize the educational tour and renamed it O.R Tambo Educational Tour in memory and homage to the late Oliver Reginald Tambo. The essay competition was open to all South Africans youth through public mass media and different topics were provided for participants to choose from selected by the SOMAFCO Trust. Winners, including Boitshoko were publicly announced and they got to travel around Africa, all expenses paid.The tour started on the 21st June till 6th July traveling and flying around African countries such as Swaziland, Mozambique, Tanzania to mention a few.
The objective of the competition was to expose a South African Heritage which belongs to South Africans and solidarity movement to young people in particular thus preserving and promoting this history.
When asked Boitshoko what did she take from this tour she simply reply with enthusiasm “I learnt a lot from this tour, beside making new friends, travelling Africa which was and still seems like a sweet dream which I don’t want to wake up from, the tour taught me more about South African history and about what happened during apartheid era .Mostly I learnt that I am here today living the possibilities simply, because of the phenomenal African freedom fighters.”
It was a dream come true to all South African youth winners to travel around Africa,especially for people like Boitshoko who has just finished her degreein communications and had nothing to do, waiting for a job interview call .A dream that those who heisted to enter the completion missed. To enriched the experience and ensure that bounds between South Africa and African countries is maintained, yearly the tour introduce different elements
Written By John Nchoe
