What caught my attention more than the captivating story itself, is how many families she is now part of. Take a deep breath. Her search for ubuntu saw her being embraced by 92 families of 13 different cultures in and around 121 towns.

What is your story? Tell us in the comments. Share your videos, pictures and writings with us here.

What do you think matters now? Tell us in the comments.

We’d like to share your stories as well. Click here to publish your pictures, short articles and videos that amplify Mzansi.

What do you think matters now? Tell us in the comments.

We’d like to share your stories as well. Click here to publish your pictures, short articles and videos that amplify Mzansi.

Our program decided to have a celebration on the 15 June, at the South African Embassy. To my suprise not a lot of the host families or my colleagues knew what the celebration was about and so I decided to use this platform to let people know the importance of June 16th in my lovely country.

34 years ago about 20 000 students marched against the education regulations set out by the apartheid government. In terms of the Bantu Education Act all students were forced to learn in Afrikaans. The students decided to have a peaceful protest against this in the streets of Soweto; however, it turned out to be a bloodbath. Today this tragic event is know to many as the Soweto Uprising and it represents the strength of our youth in 1976.

In 2010 we acknowledge those students who played a large role in making South Africa what it is to day and we remind ourselves of the challenges that lie ahead of us in the development of our current youth.

As a proud member of the youth of South Africa in 2010, I stand and shout to all around the world that I am a ripple in the ocean of hope, I am a young South African and I stand for the development of my generation and those to follow.

That doesn’t explain my disappearing act. And it wasn’t an act. The Football Friday Fashion Funk contest kept me very involved, and it was one of the few initiatives that has touched me lately.

It was a competition where young designers could make their mark using football as inspiration and in their designs fly the flag for South Africa.

Friday marked the final fashion show, made up of 15 designs that were selected by both a panel of judges and the online community. Out of the fifteen, 3 were chosen from whom only one became the finalist. Quite a handful, which would have been a mouthful if I had to say that at one go.

It felt a tiny bit like being part of a reality show and every week being presented with the harsh reality of some of the students getting eliminated. The difference was that the process of elimination involved the online community and very respected judges.

The 3 winners received a double-page spread in the Cosmopolitan Magazine, but it was Frances Miller who ultimately won the R20 000 worth of shopping vouchers. SEWTECH also sponsored some sewing machines to the value R10 000 each.

For now that explains my reappearance from the inspiring times I shared with that project. Enough about me, below is what Frances had to say about the inspiration behind her design.

Last weekend I attended the first African Nestlé Milo under 13 Schools Football Tournament in Johannesburg.  We had the Dorothy Langa School from Limpopo representing South Africa as they were last year’s national winners.  Our boys played against schools from the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana and really did us proud.

If Bafana Bafana can play with the same levels of commitment, passion and pride as these youngsters, I foresee favorable results for us in the World Cup. Nigeria won the first African tournament so the balance of power is not shifting to South Africa just yet, but well done boys.

It’s now getting to crunch time for expectant Bafana Bafana players and Mr. Parreira as all the national associations have to submit their final 23 men squads to FIFA by the end of this month.  The next two players whom I think can be very confident of their spot in the final Bafana Bafana team are Tshepo Masilela  and Steven Pienaar.

Tshepo is a very talented player.  I first saw him play when he was still at Benoni United.  I thought he had good pace and that he was very good on the ball.  On top of that, he is left footed!  I think he could be one of South Africa’s stars at the World Cup.

My other candidate, Steven Pienaar has been playing some of his best football at Everton, but has not really shined as expected in a Bafana Bafana shirt.   It’s your time now Steven, stand up and be counted.

Come on boys, the nation is behind you.

Till next time  – Rock on!

Thousands of fans queued all night to secure their seats at the biggest event ever to be hosted on this continent. Rock on FIFA! This will certainly become the point of reference for Brazil in 2014.

Sadly, with all the excitement came some setbacks – overwhelmingly large crowds, crashing systems and in some instances fans’ impatience led to unnecessarily aggressive behaviour, to the point where the police had to step in. I, for instance, received an sms from a friend whose husband was injured in the crowd bashing in Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria. Come on South Africans we are much more civilized and orderly than that.

On the Bafana Bafana front, after a relatively successful Brazilian camp the boys have now left for Germany. I hope that in the next two weeks or so, they will learn more about themselves as individuals and as a team. I must say, Parreira’s decision to include Siyabonga Nomvete in this 26 men training squad came as a huge surprise to me. But, let’s see! He might just surprise us!

I’ll leave you with the words of British author Susanna Clarke: “You’ve got to sing like you don’t need the money. You’ve got to love like you’ll never get hurt. You’ve got to dance like there’s nobody watching. You’ve got to come from the heart if you want it to work.”

Rock on!!
Mark Fish

As part of spreading the Football Friday fever, we got hold of former Bafana Bafana player who was very keen to write for us. Take a look at Mark Fish’s observations and memories on the growth of the World Cup fever.

I remember being at the Union Buildings counting down a 1000 days to the world cup, Manguang to count down 500 days and then Hong Kong counting down a 100 days to the first World Cup on African soil – in South Africa.

It wasn’t without pessimism, obstacles and challenges, but we have arrived at 83 days. I feel very fortunate as a World Cup Ambassador to have been to and seen all the stadiums completed. Oh, how I wish I could still be playing for Bafana Bafana.

Having travelled to Hong Kong, Senchzen and Guanchou, I’ve found the optimism and the excitement in the East very encouraging and a bit contagious. The rest of the world are as excited as us Africans about the 2010 World Cup. I was mobbed for autographs in Hong Kong, Senchzen and Guanchou not only because I played for Bafana Bafana. They also recognised me as a former player in the English Premiership.

Football is followed as much in the East as it is anywhere else in the world. Through the coaching clinics we held I saw as much talent there as in South Africa, with development being the key factor.

My objective was to invite all the people from Hong Kong, Senchen and Guanchou to come experience the best World Cup ever in South Africa. I found that – in doing so – the locals were very friendly and welcoming. That is what football does.

So in short – Rock On 2010! May we give the world everything they need and get everything we want.

Be there or be square.

Mark Fish