was founded in response to the Aids pandemic that has ravaged the nation of South Africa. Bridges of Hope is an organization that believes in empowering the local population of black people so that they are able to lift themselves out of their extreme poverty and difficult circumstances. Bridges Academy is a 12.5 acre farm that has been converted into a Retreat Center and a new kind of Boarding School for orphans and children at risk. Complete with dormitories, classrooms, recreation center and a sports field, Bridges Academy provides leadership training and a quality education to teenagers formerly at risk of becoming homeless or gang members within their various Townships. Bridges of Hope is developing a new generation of leaders in South Africa.