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Oprah treats SA schoolgirls to US visit

Cape Town - With Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama both currently in South Africa, the schoolgirls from Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls won't need to meet the American first lady – they already have.

Winfrey recently organised that 26 girls from her school made an exclusive visit to America's White House where they met the Obamas while they were scouting for tertiary institutions to study at.

Winfrey is also helping the first class of matric girls with their matric farewell and will be back later this year when they graduate.

"I emailed the first lady and said they're levitating," Winfrey revealed in her documentary show Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes after the girls left their White House visit.

"It's amazing," said Winfrey, talking about a girl in her school. "This girl is still living in an orphanage. When she goes home at the end of each break, she goes back to an orphanage. And she was at the White House meeting the president and the first lady of the United States of America. It's unbelievable to me that that is what is happening to them," Winfrey said.

Winfrey teared up when she started talking about another girl. "This girl lives in a tin shack the size of my office table. Air comes in on the side. And she was at the White House. That is unbelievable to me. And she was one of the lowest-scoring girls, and now she's one of the top girls. And she was at the White House."

Princesses

Winfrey also explained in the documentary show that she wants her schoolgirls to feel like they're "princesses".

"Over the years one of the things that I've loved the most is being able to bring joy to people. When you see the faces of girls getting prom [matric farewell] dresses – I just went through this in South Africa with my girls going to the prom for the first time – I know how a dress, some lipstick, some blush, a pair of shoes can change what you think of yourself," she said.

"Put them on for the first time and you believe that you too can be a princess in the world. You begin to see yourself differently, you begin to see the possibilities. The message is that dreams can come true for everybody."

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