South Africa: Obama Touches CTN Woman's Life
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Cape Argus (Cape Town)
5 October 2008
Posted to the web 6 October 2008
Zara Nicholson
He may seem preoccupied with the American presidential elections, but Democratic candidate Senator Barack Obama has found time to help a Delft woman get a student visa to the US after her application was initially declined.
Patience Noloyiso Stungu, 24, had seized an opportunity to study in Chicago after she made friends with a retired US professor who was visiting Cape Town. She was accepted by Chicago's Truman College, but then was denied a student visa.
Stungu's mother, Maria Stungu, runs a daycare centre in Delft. Several months ago Arleen Prairie, a retired professor of early childhood development studies, visited Cape Town and visited several township daycare centres, including the one run by Stungu's mother.
Stungu had been studying for a national diploma in business administration at a private college in Cape Town when she became pregnant with her daughter Ncebakazi, now seven months old.
So she dropped out. Watching her mother at work in the daycare centre, Stungu felt inspired to pursue a career in early childhood development.
"I saw what my mom is doing with children and I want to work to upgrade the system here in SA. Also, I love children," Stungu said.
Prairie was impressed by Stungu, and after she returned to the US the pair kept in touch by e-mail.
"Arleen asked me to come visit her in Chicago before she died and I thought she was joking. Then she asked what I'd like to do when I went there, and I thought it would be such an opportunity to study there.
"So I said I'd like to study child development there because it would help me so much with wanting to change our system here in South Africa. She thought it was a good idea and sent me lists of the colleges. I researched them and loved Truman College."
Prairie and her friends have offered to pay Stungu's fare, visa fees, academic fees and accommodation.
But in July came a devastating blow: her application for a student visa was refused. She saw an official at the US consulate in Tokai who said she "didn't look like someone who could go to the States".
"He also told me that I didn't have strong financial ties with South Africa and that I didn't know Arleen well enough. I was so angry."
She told Prairie of the setback, and Prairie then set up an appointment with Obama.
He wrote a letter to the US Consul General in Cape Town which reads: "My constituent, Arleen Prairie, recently contacted my Chicago office about her desire to obtain a non-immigrant visa for her student Patience Noloyiso Stungu. Please review this application under the department of state guidelines."
This letter did the trick and Stungu's visa arrived.
"I felt really good, I can't describe it. Obama said they should contact his office if I run into trouble at the embassy again. When I go to Chicago I want to set up an appointment and meet him face to face.
"My intention when I get there is to succeed and that is the only way I can give back to the people who are funding me. Gifts will fade but my success won't, and that will be the best way of saying thank you."
She leaves in December and will spend Christmas in Chicago before starting a two-year applied science course in child development.
"When I come back with my degree I want to help my mom upgrade her daycare and open a centre for orphans and homeless children."
Stungu will leave her baby behind with her mother.
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"Over there I will get a laptop and see her everyday on video call."
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Copyright © 2008 Cape Argus. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
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