Meet John Ben Snow Memorial Trust Fellow Saroya Madlala

By Saroya Madlala

Hello! My name is Saroya Madlala and I am intern here at Inkululeko. I was born in Durban, South Africa where I lived with my family for 13 years. Having been raised in a mixed-race family in South Africa, my childhood afforded me opportunities to observe how human connections and the community around me contributed and encouraged me to succeed. My family moved to Maryland where I graduated high school and I decided to continue my education at Clark University where I received my Bachelor’s degree in International Development and Social Change. This career path taught me the importance of a human centred approach to research and development. Aside from my studies, I participated in many extracurricular activities, including choreographing for Southern Africa in our annual International Gala, photography for the school newspaper and mentoring young women of colour.

After completing my undergraduate studies, I served as a Sustainable Agricultural Extension volunteer in Peace Corps Panama. In the mountainous, rural community where I served, I trained farmers on integrated pest management and post-harvest management of staple crops to curb food insecurity. My work taught me the multiple challenges of development work, including the importance of perseverance, cultivating human relationships, and most of all the need to be culturally sensitive. The farmers were my teachers, for they understood soil and water conservation but were still willing to try some new techniques that allowed them to produce and sell more crops. When I was not working on farms, during the weekends, I organized an English class for students of all ages to attend because they were not receiving proper English instruction in school. Even though I don’t know how to teach English as a second language, their enthusiasm encouraged me to try my best to provide necessary and exciting lessons. This experience reinforced my passion for working with youth and more than anything I was fascinated by how much we have in common given that we are from opposite ends of the world. My work in Panama stimulated my interest in understanding how the government and NGOs respond to public basic needs to alleviate poverty. I look forward to working in diverse, challenging environments.

I am currently pursuing my Master’s in Public Administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs focusing on local government and agricultural policy. I would not be in snowy Syracuse without the support, guidance and help of my family. I am fortunate to have people close to me to lean on and I recognize that not everyone receives such consistent support throughout their academic careers. The work that Inkululeko does, offers students a chance to change their circumstances through their studies and more than anything encourages them to reach new heights which I think is invaluable. I am eager to learn more about Inkululeko where I can utilize my creative ideas skills to increase engagement within organization and to connect with youth from home. In the words of my father ‘In a country, so violent and crime ridden as South Africa, education is the only thing that cannot be stolen from you’.