Building a Dream: The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls

Oprah Winfrey had a dream. She dreamt of a place where impoverished young girls of South Africa could be educated and guided to greatness. Thanks to an inspirational conversation with Nelson Mandela who believed in the dream, it has become a reality. Over the last five years, Oprah has funded, designed and created the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy For Girls which opened its doors in December to its first graduating classes. This gorgeous campus in Johannesburg, South Africa is a safe haven, an inspiration, a place where a young girls dreams can be nurtured and goals that were once unreachable are suddenly within their grasp.

"Building a Dream- The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy For Girls" is a special primetime TV presentation spotlighting some of South Africa's future leaders. Anyone who watches this program will be undoubtedly touched by these beautiful girls and their heartbreaking stories. With strength, spirit, warmth and intelligence... each girl is an inspiration and their life experiences are truly humbling.

Compared to the lives these girls have lived, the day-to-day troubles many of us face seem utterly trivial. The conditions they've lived in, the family and friends they've lost tragically... these things have forced them to grow up so quickly, in a way that most of us can't even begin to comprehend. These girls have beaten the odds and overcome so much adversity, one can't help but be proud of their achievements.

What is so amazing about these girls is their positive energy and eloquence- it's hard to believe they are just barely teenagers. Seeing their tender smiles and hearing them giggle like schoolgirls reminds us that they are, indeed, children. To watch their faces and excitement as they are accepted and shown their new school is a joy. This Leadership Academy is not just a campus they are touring, it is a new life, a future of promise and hope.

These fortunate students were chosen for this special school based on their outstanding grades, their proven leadership abilities, their essays and their interviews which were each conducted personally by Ms. Winfrey. It is apparent how much a part of her these girls have become. Oprah refers to them as daughters and they, many of whom have lost their mothers, lovingly refer to Oprah as theirs.

A special encore presentation of "Building a Dream- The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy For Girls" will air Saturday March 3^rd, 9PM ET/ 8PM CT on ABC. Tell your friends, grab your kids and tune in for what has to be one of the most inspirational hours of television of our generation. It is also available for purchase on DVD at the following link: http://boutique.oprah.com/product/show/5830 .