Who is IAWA?
Founded on the philosophy of Ubuntu, or “I am because we are,” I Am, We Are (IAWA pronounced eye-ow-wa) strives to empower youth with the tools to confidently own their future.
We give our ambassadors an understanding of self, stretch their belief in who they can be, and teach them how to apply the principles of entrepreneurship to create the future they envision for themselves.
A nurturing environment where tomorrow's leaders are cultivated.
With the youth employment rate averaging 51%, South Africa has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world. IAWA is focused on empowering youth with the fortitude and skills to overcome the barriers they face pursuing their dreams.
Featured Stories
When IAWA first began the mission was simple, to show young people that with the right tools they could do anything. We had hopes that the work we were doing way back when, would lead to the type of people that would go into communities and plant the same seeds. In a sense that those we taught to fish would some day teach others
We talk about our vision to empower young people. How we see a world where they are socially engaged, globally aware, and economically free. But, what do we mean by that, and how do we accomplish this?
I Am We Are had the supreme pleasure of awarding the inaugural The Pastor Gaines Memorial Fund which supports faith based youth work in South Africa. Hope4Kasie is a non-profit founded by Pastor Gladys and her husband in hopes of helping the young people of Oukasie, Rustenburg South Africa find hope and light for their future. They felt a deep responsibility to shine their light to ensure that those after them know the way.
Join us on July 28, 2022, at the Future Africa Campus at the University of Pretoria from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm for I Am Here: UnlockedPotential, a night where BEP alumni will share where they are now in life! We will also share our Impact Report. Get the inside scoop as the alumni recount how your continued IAWA support helped them navigate the twists and turns of life, revealing a future filled with hope and unlocking the limitless potential in us all.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we needed to find a way to keep the connection between our South African youth and our American youth alive. As a result, the Morafe Leadership Programme was created. The Morafe Leadership Programme is a virtual, peer-to-peer initiative designed to bring together our youth from the Royal Bafokeng Nation (RBN) in South Africa and our youth from Prince George’s County, Maryland, USA. Together, the youth learn to build life skills, leadership abilities, and strong cross-cultural ties to support each other’s dreams and ambitions.
IAWA is fueled by the kindness of our donors and the solid support of our partners. Thanks to the generosity of several key partners, we can provide unique opportunities for our youth. This post is dedicated to 5 recent partnerships we can’t stop smiling about.
As a Youth Facilitator, my community of fellow facilitators, our ever-patient members of the Nia circle and the joy of my Ambassadors lit my path. This was a year of light for me especially since it helped cement for me that youth development and spaces for young people are where I am supposed to be. Because the light of I Am, We Are exists, I was able to find my way.
Last year we launched a new program, the Morafe Leadership Development Programme, and welcomed a new cohort of Ambassadors. From both the United States, Prince George’s County; Maryland and North West; South Africa. This was the first time where we had students from both countries in the program not just in parallel but together. It was certainly a new learning curve having to run a fully virtual programme and training of the Youth Facilitators and we added to the community while learning new things in spite of and because of the pandemic.
We’ve had some new additions and some heartfelt farewells in our community at the top of this year. Find out who are our newest community members, meet our newest Directors Circle members, and learn about our new Impact Assessment Team.
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They shared the harsh realities we might encounter, but the lesson was clear: no matter how challenging it gets, never give up, study hard, and stay true to ourselves.