Help Fund Tyler's Princeton in Africa Fellowship in South Africa!

Tyler McBrien Start Date: May 9, 2015 - End Date: Aug 26, 2015
  • King William's Town, South Africa
  • Eastern Cape, South Africa

My Travel Story

by: Tyler McBrien Start Date: May 9, 2015 - End Date: Aug 26, 2015
Hello friends and family!!

This August I will embark on the opportunity of a lifetime. After a several month application process, I was awarded the yearlong Princeton in Africa Fellowship to work for an incredible organization called Equal Education in South Africa. I feel so fortunate and humbled to have been chosen for this selective and competitive program.  

Founded in 1999, Princeton in Africa develops young leaders committed to Africa’s advancement by offering yearlong fellowship opportunities with a variety of organizations that work across the African continent.

During the year of service, Fellows create connections that last a lifetime. Some stay and continue to work in Africa; others leverage their experience to launch careers in international development. No matter where they go, the Fellows’ experiences with Princeton in Africa transform their lives and perspectives about the world and their role within it.

My year of service with Princeton in Africa will take me to the Eastern Cape of South Africa, where I will aid Equal Education on the Michael Komape Norms & Standards Implementation Campaign. Equal Education is a movement of learners, parents, teachers and community members working for quality and equality in South African education, through analysis and activism.

Because PiAf is a small non-profit organization that relies entirely on donations for funding, the organization asks Fellows to cover the cost of airfare to and from the fellowship post country, other pre-departure expenses like visas and immunizations, and a placement fee of $150. 

To cover these costs, PiAf suggests Fellows set up fundraising pages such as this one. Any and all contributions are deeply appreciated.

Many of you know how transformative my summer in Tanzania with the Asante Africa Foundation was in my life. Every day that summer my perceptions of Tanzania were challenged, torn down, and built anew. I encountered less developed infrastructure, yet saw an extensive cell phone network. I heard people talk of tribal lines, yet witnessed a thriving community of happy strangers chatting on cramped buses. I read about a low quality of education, yet interacted with passionate teachers and self-motivated students. I saw contradictions and hardships in Tanzania, but mostly I saw the country’s boundless potential and ambitious people. The challenges people faced often came down to a question of access to resources. I am pursuing a PiAf fellowship to tackle this very problem. In my fellowship placement, I will strive to help people improve their own lives through access to education.

I can only imagine the wonderful experiences that await me next year in South Africa. 

I would also love to encourage everyone to follow my year with Equal Education through my blog, which I plan to update constantly! Details on the blog to come!
  • King William's Town, South Africa
  • Eastern Cape, South Africa

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