South Africa Project Celebrates 12th Year at GW

After spending one week living in residence halls, attending classes and rehearsing on campus, students from South Africa's Bokamoso Youth Foundation concluded their residency at the George Washington University with two performances held at Betts Theatre. 

The Bokamoso Youth Foundation is a South African organization that unites young people from the poverty-stricken region of Winterveld. Each year, the center sends a group of performers to the university as part of an exchange program led by Professor of Theatre Leslie Jacobson. This year marked the 12th anniversary of that exchange. 

The South African students arrived at GW on Feb. 2. On Thursday afternoon, they participated in an interactive workshops with GW's Global Women's Institute. They presented scenes from an original play and led a discussion with the audience about relationships and gender dynamics in South Africa. 

On Friday and Saturday, the students performed the entire play, which was written by Ms. Jacobson, her colleague Roy Barbar and Bokamoso’s drama director Thapelo Mashaba. The play examines the aftermath of South Africa’s apartheid. A woman—played by student Zinhle Khumalo—must confront an apartheid policeman who killed her husband years earlier. 

Following the short play, the students introduced audiences to a range of traditional South African songs and dances. They also performed poems dedicated to the Bokamoso Youth Foundation’s former director Solomon Mahlangu, who passed away earlier this year, and shared the stage with the GW Trouboudours for a few songs. South African Ambassador attended Friday evening's performance.

Check out some highlights from their week below.