Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Englewood Student Wants To Teach In Africa, And You Can Help Her Get There

By Andrea V. Watson | March 3, 2017 5:40am | Updated on March 4, 2017 10:25am
 Spelman College freshman Samaiya Butler, from Englewood,  is raising money to travel to Africa this summer.
Spelman College freshman Samaiya Butler, from Englewood, is raising money to travel to Africa this summer.
View Full Caption
Samaiya Butler

ENGLEWOOD — A Spelman College freshman from Englewood will travel to Namibia, a country in southwest Africa this summer, but she said she needs help with expenses.

Samaiya Butler, 19, was recently accepted into the WorldTeach Namibia Summer 2017 program. It offers people an opportunity to teach in primary or secondary schools. Her experience has been working with children in Englewood so through this program she would leave in June to teach African children English and computer literacy for 10 weeks.

“Going to Africa would really be expanding on everything I want to do,” Butler said.

Through Youcaring.com, she’s trying to raise $5,000, which is the fee volunteers have to pay. Half must be paid by April 15 and the other half by May 15. The $5,000 doesn’t include additional expenses like the cost of immunizations, new clothing or equipment.

Butler has had a love for community service since she was a girl, she said.

“I love to give back to people,” she said.

She’s been involved with summer programs that work closely with children in Englewood.

Being active in her mother’s organization — the Resident Association of Greater Englewood, or RAGE — gave her opportunities to volunteer, which she said she’s now doing in Atlanta where she goes to school.

“Even though it’s not Chicago, I see similar things that we need to work on within the black community as a whole,” Butler said.

The English major wants to show the world that a girl from Englewood can be both successful and give back.  

“I feel like people [have] a perception of people from Englewood, like we’re not supposed to be successful,” she said.

Butler said her goal is to serve communities around the world. She began in her backyard and now wants to help in Africa, which has always been a top travel destination.

“Visiting Africa has always been one of my dreams, but being given the chance to do community service in an African country is a one in a lifetime opportunity,” she posted on the campaign page.

More details are at www.YouCaring.com.