Executive Director of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, Gugu Ndebele, poses with the Class of 2025 Top Archievers Awards. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/ The Citizen The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) has once again achieved a 100% matric pass rate, as it honoured its top achievers at an awards ceremony celebrating academic excellence, resilience and leadership. Executive Director Gugu Ndebele said the achievement went beyond results, reflecting the strength and potential of young women who often come from underprivileged backgrounds.
“I am so excited, emotional, I’m happy for the girls,” Ndebele said. “I’m in awe of the girls because the journey that they’ve travelled is a journey on a roadless path. Not many young people come from where they come from and achieve what they’ve achieved.” She said the results should encourage South Africans to place greater faith in young people.
“We need to start believing in young people. Despite where they come from, they have incredible strengths. All we need to do is build industry and create an environment for them to thrive,” she said.
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Ndebele emphasised that the support provided by the academy, made possible through Oprah Winfrey’s endowment, does not end after matric. “The beauty about the gift from Ms Winfrey is that it doesn’t end in matric,” she said. “All of them are placed in accommodation.
They receive pocket money, medical aid, and psychosocial support.” She added that OWLAG assigns mentors at every university where its graduates study. “They help them settle and support them until they graduate. We don’t abandon them,” Ndebele said, noting that the support continues until students complete their degrees, provided they meet academic requirements.
While some graduates have pursued postgraduate studies abroad, Ndebele said OWLAG now encourages students to complete their undergraduate studies in South Africa. “The transition overseas is tough. We encourage them to study here and apply for scholarships for postgraduate studies. We currently have about three or four who have gone overseas for second master’s degrees,” she said.
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