Oprah Goes to School

In fact, many people believed Oprah shouldn't be reaching back, at least not in this way. The South African government has never said precisely why it pulled out of the project, though it's not hard to guess. "The country is very obviously poor, and so few children have a chance at education," says one South African school official who asked not to be identified because he didn't want to offend Oprah. "It is hard not to see that many feel that what Ms. Winfrey is doing is too much." Oprah's response? "I understand that many in the school system and out feel that I'm going overboard, and that's fine. This is what I want to do. I wanted to take girls with that 'It' quality, and give them an opportunity to make a difference in the world. I'd like to think I have as much good sense as I have money, so that's a lot of good sense."

Oprah also knows that some people will complain that charity should begin at home, even though she has provided millions of dollars to educate poor children in the United States, especially via her Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program. But she sees the two situations as entirely different. "Say what you will about the American educational system--it does work," she says. "If you are a child in the United States, you can get an education." And she doesn't think that American students--who, unlike Africans, go to school free of charge--appreciate what they have. "I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools that I just stopped going. The sense that you need to learn just isn't there," she says. "If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will say an iPod or some sneakers. In South Africa, they don't ask for money or toys. They ask for uniforms so they can go to school."

The academy is Oprah's vision, but she does have a not-so-silent partner: longtime buddy Gayle King. She's with Oprah everywhere in Africa, and Oprah relies on her advice. On everything. Every time a girl leaves the interview room, Oprah asks for Gayle's thoughts. When they sit for a fashion show of possible uniforms, Gayle suggests the pleated skirts be looser to accommodate the heavier girls; Oprah agrees. We all know that King is Oprah's BFF--their cross-country car trip last summer was one of the best "Oprah" features in years--but it's still something of a shock to see someone of Oprah's stature rely so heavily on someone else. Gayle really does seem like Oprah's other half. King says rumors of their being lovers used to bother them both--"It wasn't true, and it implied that Oprah was a liar"--but they're over it now. "Most people will be lucky if they get one good friend in their lifetime," King says. "Most don't even get that one friendship, so the friendship we have is foreign to them. What we have is a blessing."

King has her own theory as to why her friend has become obsessed with the school. "When I watched Oprah with those girls," she says, "I kept thinking she was meant to be a mother, and it would happen one way or another." Indeed, Oprah constantly refers to her students as "my girls," and she really means it. She'll not only teach two leadership classes via satellite, she plans to spend a good deal of her retirement years in Henly-on-Klip. (Of course, that's assuming she ever does retire.) She's going to build a house on the school grounds--and she'll use the same dishes, sheets and curtains that the students do. "I want to be near my girls and be in a position to see how they're doing," Oprah says. "I want to have a presence they can sense and feel comfortable with." The bonding has already begun. Recently, when Oprah had finished interviewing for the day, she escorted the girls back to their bus and gave each of them a big hug. One girl, Thelasa Msumbi, held on extra tight, then whispered in Oprah's ear: "We are your daughters now." Winfrey smiled. And yes, Thelasa got admitted.

© 2007