Ithuteng
Encyclopedia
Ithuteng is a 2006 documentary film
about the Ithuteng Trust School in Soweto
, South Africa
, its students and leader Jackie Maarohanye
, referred to as Mama Jackey. It was directed by Willie Ebersol and co-produced by Charlie Ebersol and Kip Kroeger.
Ithuteng premiered on HBO on Sunday 3 December 2006 at 6:30pm and on HBO Family on Tuesday 5 December 2006 at 9:00pm.
Oprah Winfrey
donated USD1.14m to the cause after it appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show
on 2 February 2006.
In 2001 South African Investigative News Magazine show Carte Blanche first broadcast a story on Ithuteng Founder Jackey Maaronhanye – calling her the Angel of Soweto.
But in 2006 this was followed by insert ITHUTENG TRUST – transcript at http://beta.mnet.co.za/carteblanche/Article.aspx?Id=3224 - in which a group of former students said that they had lied about the stories of abuse and poverty told to sponsors and media. They said that their heart-wrenching stories had been scripted by Maarohanye, and this in order to gain the sympathy of donors, that funding would pay for their education and that this was their incentive to lie. When the students went on to study and became suspicious that their fees were not being paid as promised, they went public with allegations of lies, financial mismanagement, intimidation, violence and more. The investigative exposé shocked South African viewers and was covered in the general press for an extended period of time.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about the Ithuteng Trust School in Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, its students and leader Jackie Maarohanye
Jackie Maarohanye
Jackie Maarohanye, also known as Mama Jackey, Mama Jackie, or Angel of Soweto and mother of kwaito star Jub-jub, is known for running the Ithuteng Trust School in Soweto, South Africa. The Ithuteng Trust School was set up in 1997 by Maarohanye with the help of President Nelson Mandela...
, referred to as Mama Jackey. It was directed by Willie Ebersol and co-produced by Charlie Ebersol and Kip Kroeger.
Ithuteng premiered on HBO on Sunday 3 December 2006 at 6:30pm and on HBO Family on Tuesday 5 December 2006 at 9:00pm.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
donated USD1.14m to the cause after it appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
on 2 February 2006.
In 2001 South African Investigative News Magazine show Carte Blanche first broadcast a story on Ithuteng Founder Jackey Maaronhanye – calling her the Angel of Soweto.
But in 2006 this was followed by insert ITHUTENG TRUST – transcript at http://beta.mnet.co.za/carteblanche/Article.aspx?Id=3224 - in which a group of former students said that they had lied about the stories of abuse and poverty told to sponsors and media. They said that their heart-wrenching stories had been scripted by Maarohanye, and this in order to gain the sympathy of donors, that funding would pay for their education and that this was their incentive to lie. When the students went on to study and became suspicious that their fees were not being paid as promised, they went public with allegations of lies, financial mismanagement, intimidation, violence and more. The investigative exposé shocked South African viewers and was covered in the general press for an extended period of time.
Awards
- Best Documentary Film, Hatch Film Festival
- Official Selection, Empire International Film Festival
- Best Humanitarian Film, Telluride Film FestivalTelluride Film FestivalThe Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado, United States. It is operated by the National Film Preserve....