Richard Branson: Philanthropic Traveler

Add a Comment

Name:


Email:


Comments:


Submit the word you see below:



Notify me of follow-up comments?

Richard Branson: Philanthropic Traveler

Friday, February 02, 2007

Photo: Richard Branson, David Chamberlain, Steve Fossett

A "school of entrepreneurship" has been opened at a unique South African university, which provides virtually free education for poor students. The new department at the CIDA City Campus in Johannesburg is being funded by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin group. The university aims to provide business degrees to disadvantaged black students unable to afford higher education. Sir Richard said he wanted the school to help put young South Africans on the "golden highway to economic freedom". The university - CIDA City Campus - was set up from scratch five years ago by a South African businessman, Taddy Blecher, who wanted to tackle the exclusion from higher education facing poor black families.

Foster ambition
Beginning with only a borrowed building and students learning to type on paper photocopies of keyboards, the university is currently teaching business degrees to 1,300 young people.
In exchange for their tuition, students are expected to help maintain the campus and to teach young people in their own communities during the holidays. "The South African economy is dependent on entrepreneurial activity for creating future economic growth and jobs," said Sir Richard, who is giving his own name to a project for the first time.

The Branson School of Entrepreneurship is designed to foster the business ambitions of young black students. "Currently the economic contribution to South Africa's entrepreneurial sector is below the emerging markets norm, I believe that increasing entrepreneurship in this country is the golden highway to economic freedom," said Sir Richard. Dr Blecher said that he wants Branson's involvement to support students beyond those in Johannesburg, where the university occupies a disused bank building where Nelson Mandela once worked.

Outreach
The university is developing outreach projects for rural communities, where poor families have little prospect of getting access to higher education. A fund, called CIDA Seed, backed by the Virgin group and other UK businesses, will also provide start-up capital for micro-enterprises. The university, which began when Dr Blecher started sending out faxes from his own workplace inviting applications from school students, wants to tackle the lack of opportunity facing millions of black youngsters.

"With wealthy families in South Africa there's no question that they're going to university and get a good job afterwards. But only 3% of the black population over the age of 20 has a degree," said Dr Blecher. Black people remain under-represented in the professions, he says, quoting figures that there were less than 50 black dentists from a population of 35 million.

Dr Blecher approached the problem from a business perspective - and his university is designed to promote the idea of wealth creation and the sharing of that success. Students who attend the university are then expected to fund another student who will follow in their footsteps.

The university has tapped into the expertise of South Africa's business community, with financial services companies sending their staff to help train students. "Our students, from squatter camps and townships, were learning from people who had done three billion rand business deals," said Dr Blecher.

Learn More:
The The One's Who Do: Visionary Philanthropic Travelers
Family Office: Philanthropic Travel
World Travel Market London: Luxury Travel with a Conscience
Travel Philanthropy: Creating Peace
The Fable of Stone Soup
Understanding Philanthropic Travel
Approaching the Omega Point: Philanthropic Travel
Travel Connoisseur Magazine on Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel Worldwide
Fast Company Magazine on Philanthropic Travel
PersonalLifemedia.com on Philanthropic Travel
Philanthropic Traveler funded High School opens near Victoria Falls, Zambia
My First Philanthropic Travel Experience
Affluent Parents Dedicated to Instilling Philanthropic Values in their Children
Giving while Living: The Deeper News About the New Philanthropy
Dr. Jeffrey Sachs on the Strategic Steps Out of Poverty

Philanthropic Travelers:
Visionary Philanthropic Traveler Marc Gold 100 Friends Project
Visionary Philanthropic Traveler Chellie Kew
Milton & Fred Ochieng: Philanthropic Travelers
Jane Kaye- Bailey: Philanthropic Traveler
Richard Branson: Philanthropic Traveler
Angelina Jolie: Philanthropic Traveler
Oprah Winfrey: Philanthropic Traveler
Palm Beach Life Magazine: Philanthropic Travelers