Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are widely known for their generosity and philanthropism, cumulatively donating over 87 billion dollars to large non-profits and other charitable organizations. Oprah Winfrey falls into a similar group, but tends to make her donations much more personal. In 2000, she pledged to Nelson Mandela to build a school dedicated to the talented young women living in unimaginable conditions in South Africa. In 2002, she began a five-year project which arguably benefited not only the 450 impoverished girls who attended, but every undeveloped country with a need for safer, more reliable school systems. It is clear her $40 million leadership academy was a truly inspired investment.

 

During the five years it took to build the 28 premium buildings that made up her learning facility, many claimed she was wasting too much money to save so few people, she did not need to give the girls who were used to nothing, the nicest bed sheets possible, she was simply using this project as a publicity stunt, taking from non-profits who could do more. Many were wrong. What Oprah's critics did not understand was, this was not about the money she spent, it was about giving children in need the opportunity to become the best they could be. During Oprah’s childhood she experienced hardships no parent ever wants their kid to go through, she was simply trying to give people like her the childhood she wished she had. The girls of South Africa had the worst possible education one could imagine. Long trips to and from school, coed bathrooms, and teachers abusing their powers all led to the common occurrence of rape. At the time, AIDS and HIV were at the peak of their pandemic and many parents pulled their daughters out of schooling to protect their wellbeing. Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy (OWLA) gave women with high promise, a safe place to receive a high-quality education. This “publicity stunt”, as haters called it, led to the involvement of many other wealthy public figures who, in turn, got involved. Madonna even announced she would break ground in Malawi, building another school for the underprivileged. In a way, the attention Oprah brought to this issue inspired many more people to donate than any non-profit had. The notion that Oprah’s money was not well spent is an utter fallacy. According to Cheryl Mabey, a “leader empowers others to use power”, and does not just hoard all the power (and oftentimes wealth) to themselves. Oprah created a top of the line, 52 acre, heaven for special girls who she empowers to make real changes around their communities and eventually around the globe. 

 

Saying this investment seems like a misuse of money and power would be a ridiculous assertion seeing the $40 million spent only accounts for roughly 0.16% of all of Oprah’s assets, meaning this investment will inspire more donations and forms of aid in the future from not only Oprah, but others as well. One of the most talked-about details of the OWLA is the unnecessarily superb quality. Not only did Oprah pay attention to details, like the stitching on pillowcases or handpicking which bricks would be used, but in doing this, she created jobs for hundreds of South African natives. This is not only serving the girls who would soon attend her school, but their families and communities as well. In a sense, Oprah's money went so much farther than the 450 girls who attended, a number critics love to claim as “not enough”. The leadership Winfrey displayed is one of compassion, valuing those in need rather than those with power. A servant leader is someone who “makes sure others highest priority needs are being served”, according to Robert K. Greenleaf, putting others above yourself and helping them grow because of it. Oprah was a servant to these girls. She believed every one of these girls deserved no spared expense in order to inspire creativity and hard work. Even more importantly, Oprah sets a precedent by showing a global community how black women should be treated, that all people, no matter their color or socioeconomic status, deserve the best possible education. Many believe this special group of girls will grow to become some of the most influential and productive leaders Africa has seen. A statement producing 1000 or even 100 schools of lesser quality could not say. 

 

Initially, the OWLA worried parents that their children would lose their sense of community and family, though parents were willing to look past the fact for the additional safety and protection of their child. In the end, history shows schools can do much more than teach a sense of community. More than anything Oprah wanted her leadership academy to prevent the girls from experiencing any more trauma, she wanted safety. With strict visitation rules in place, critics and parents worried about the familial experiences these girls would now lack, the disservice it is to them, possibly preventing them from fully being able to connect with their community. A community is a group of people with similar characteristics in common, and it is important for the leadership academy students to understand and value their community because they will one day fight for it. To instill these values, Oprah only hired the best South African teachers she could find. People who knew what it was like to face oppression and poverty. People who could display the characteristics these girls needed to learn. People from the community who could teach the values, because they were their own. If anything OWLA leads to a deeper understanding of community within its student body, not a loss of it. In an article titled The Common Good, they describe it as “a good to which all members of society have access”, similar to the benefits these girls will bestow amongst the community after completion of the academy. In addition to the OWLA providing a safe place to learn, an extremely uncommon commodity for virtually everyone in Africa, they also provide the girls with a strong sense of common good for their community. As a parent, the life of your kid is more important than anything imaginable. OWLA not only protects that life, but gives it power, power to make a difference in the community. Oprah may not seem brilliant, but her creation of the leadership academy certainly was. It inspires the young girls who attend to do big things, the members of their community to help reform education, and allies around the world to donate in ways that affect more than just an individual.