Projects

Strengthening and expanding educational opportunities

Wilton Mkwayi International Fellows Program

One of founding members of the Coalition’s Board of Directors, Wilton Mkwayi, died in July 2004.   He committed his life to improving the lives of the disenfranchised and marginalized.   We think those are admirable qualities that are too often lacking in today’s world.   At its recent annual meeting, the Board of Directors of the Coalition approved a plan to create a Wilton Mkwayi International Fellows Program.  

The program is still in the planning stages.   We have received support from Wilton’s widow and the rest of his immediate family.   We have reached an agreement with the President of Garrett College to host, and support, the program.   We are currently refining some of the details of the program.   We would very much appreciate your support of this new initiative.

Program Purpose

The purpose of the Wilton Mkwayi International Fellows Program is to bring one student a year, initially from the traditional areas outside of King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, where Wilton was from, to Garrett College to enroll as a full time student in a two-year Associates Degree program of their choice.   The program reflects Wilton’s commitment to empowering each and every individual citizen from the time he was a union organizer in 1948 apartheid South Africa to the last years of his life as a member of the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Effective Local Democracy which supported citizen initiated projects to improve their communities in the traditional areas outside of King William’s Town.  

Garrett College is the perfect venue for such a program.   First, it is in a rural area and the majority of the population of the Eastern Cape still lives in rural areas.   Second, the College has a number of specialty degrees that are directly relevant for students from the Eastern Cape province of South Africa including, but not limited to, the following:

• The Adventure Sports academic program at Garrett College which offers students the opportunity to combine studies in business management, environmental science, psychology and leadership development with participation in adventure sport skill classes in preparation for entry into the job market trained for middle management positions in organizations specializing in adventure sport activities.   Garrett's Adventure Sports program capitalizes on the natural features of the region, including Deep Creek Lake, Maryland's largest freshwater lake, Wisp and Timberline ski areas, numerous paddling opportunities on the Cheat, Youghiogheny and Potomac watersheds and rock climbing at Coopers Rock, Seneca Rocks and the New River Gorge. The area also has many miles of forest trails and roads, which, in addition to the geography of the region, produce a program unique in the United States.
• A Natural Resource and Wildlife Technology program, which provides education and state-of-the-art technical training in many natural resources management fields.   Garrett College's Natural Resources and Wildlife Technology Program emphasizes experience in practical settings in the field as well as in the classroom.  This makes graduates especially well prepared for real world work experiences.  The NRWT Program is also unique because many of the required courses are taught by professors who are also natural resources managers employed by State Natural Resources Agencies.  This provides students excellent training opportunities that are based on actual practices in the "real world.”   Returning home, students will be prepared to contribute immediately to provincial, national, and/or private sector efforts to conserve and manage critical resources like wildlife, fisheries, forests, soils, and water. 
• An Agriculture Management program which is offered in cooperation with the University of Maryland Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA) . Students are jointly enrolled with Garrett College and with the University of Maryland Institute of Applied Agriculture. Students can specialize in one of three areas of study:
  1. Agribusiness/Farm Management which includes careers in growing and marketing produce, livestock, and field crops; supplying and selling products and services; and distributing agriculture commodities.
  2. Horticulture, which includes preparing for degrees in landscaping, greenhouse management, garden center operations, and golf course maintenance.
  3. Land Management, which includes preparing for degrees in certified crop advising, nutrient management, soil conservation, and land planning.
• Business and Information Technology program which offers students the opportunity to specialize in Business Management, Computer Applications for Business, Computer Information Technology (E-Commerce), Computer Information Technology (Network Administration) and Computer Information Technology (Repair/Network Technician).

The focus of the Wilton Mkwayi International Fellows program is on preparing students to return home and contribute to their communities.   It is expected that the student will directly benefit from obtaining a two-year degree in one of the main academic areas at Garrett College.   The College environment, and the broader community, will benefit from the student’s presence in Garrett County because of the diversity of culture and experience they bring and share.