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VIA: Blackgivesback.com

Lael Clark, a student at Johnson C. Smith University, recently returned from South Africa.  Clark was one of 22 students winners who traveled to South Africa as a part of the “Open Happiness Tour,” a video contest that sought creative and inspirational answers to the question: “How does the Coca-Cola RAIN program inspire you?” The Coca-Cola RAIN “Water for Schools” initiative helps provide safe drinking water for schoolchildren in Africa and around the world.

She shared: “My response drew a connection between the need for water and the need for Africa’s future– the children. Without sanitized water access for children, a luxury we have in the United States, who will be the future? Humans can only last a few days without water. If children are drinking contaminated water, what is the difference from not having water at all to drink? Clean water creates futures and the children are the future.”

During their trip that began on June 25th, Lael and the students learned about Africa’s water crisis by visiting a local orphanage whose water system was in dire need of repairs, and they met with executives from Coca-Cola South Africa, who shared support efforts the Company is doing throughout Africa, including HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention. Accompanying the students on the trip was actor Idris Elba, who shared his perspective on local culture, and they experienced the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Lael shared with BlackGivesBack what she learned from the trip, what African Americans can do to help Africa, on meeting actor Idris Elba, her future philanthropic career goals, and photos from her trip:

What did you learn while in South Africa about their culture, their water crisis and other societal ills they have? What did you take away?

I learned that Johannesburg is like any city I’ve visited in America. In every city there is a suburb and a ghetto–the expensive parts and the impoverished parts. I saw the same thing in Johannesburg. Foreigners who visit American cities as tourists usually only see the parts especially made for tourism. This was the same in Johannesburg. We visited impoverished townships, but we also saw wealthy areas with houses even in America would be considered lavish. I think people need to get off their couches–especially us African-Americans–and see these places beyond the narrow T.V. screens. Also I learned it is so easy to help. It is so easy. Africans are literally waiting for us African-Americans to at least visit. In all honesty, I think we owe our homeland that. It doesn’t take a genealogist to see where we come from. We owe it to ourselves to connect in some way to what we know for sure, is a part of us.

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