You may have seen the piece from The Christian Science Monitor about Oprah Winfrey's new school in Johannesburg on the home page. Oprah Winfrey hosts a very popular TV show in the United States. She is a highly successful, intelligent and thoughtful person. So, it is not surprising that she should become interested in education, particularly in education for girls in the developing world.

Following the path already charted by Bill and Miranda Gates, Madonna and Mark Shuttleworth, some of the world's extremely wealthy people have begun to display a philanthropic interest in the provision of education for Africa. Unlike the international aid community, however, these new mega-philanthropists tend to be unwilling to work with national governments. They bypass local systems and the pitfalls of corrupt officialdom through the sheer power of their investment and global prestige. Is this a good or bad development? Many were appalled at Madonna's actions in Malawi. Some are critical of Oprah Winfrey's involvement. Many applaud Bill Gates and Mark Shuttleworth. The jury is still out.

There is good news here, I believe. The spotlight is on Africa and on education. For Edmund Rice people who have been labouring for years in education in Africa with little or no recognition, there may be some seeds of hope here. Education in Africa requires resources. Perhaps there is a new generation of philanthropists beginning to emerge in the West who may be willing to invest in Edmund Rice Education in Africa. If this were to happen, not only would Edmund be pleased, he would also understand.