By Yuniya Khan | Project Director
Dear TEP Friends,
I think it’s safe to say that this year has not turned out the way any of us planned or hoped for.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought the entire world to an abrupt standstill, and just like that, everything changed. And for The Emerge Project, this has meant a lot of things. South Africa has closed its borders to international travelers, which means that for our project director, Yuniya, currently in the US, travel to South Africa is off the table, likely for the rest of 2020. This means that, at least for the time being, our capacity to create new stories and content will remain limited while we reassess and reconfigure and determine the best way forward amidst lockdowns and border closures.
In the meantime, though, we will continue to build on the work of the black leaders and entrepreneurs whose stories we’ve captured and shared, who continue to do their best to make a difference in their community. In May we featured the work of Owen Muzambi, founder of Driven Entrepreneurs, which seeks to unlock the entrepreneurial spirit and drive in black youth in townships and peri-urban areas. Through Driven’s work, these youth learn to tap into their creative and problem-solving abilities, and some even receive the funding and business training to turn their ideas into reality.
In light of all the protests happening in the US and around the world in support of racial justice and equity, we believe the work of The Emerge Project is even more crucial. People like Owen and the leaders we feature exist in every country, in every society. Many of them operate with minimal resources, and expend a great deal of time and energy to keep their initiatives going. Black leadership is crucial in building up the health and safety of our societies, and we need to find intentional and effective ways to support their work and expand their impact. We invite you to reach out to us if you have specific ideas for collaboration and partnership in building these leaders up.
We wish you health, safety and peace of mind during this season!
With gratitude,
The TEP Team
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