SafePlace International’s Dream Academy is proving that healing and leadership can transform lives. For LGBTQIA+ individuals, refugees, single parents, and allies around the world, this unique programme offers participants a chance to grow, lead, and heal, not only for themselves but for their communities too.
The Dream Academy is a 15-week virtual course that combines leadership development, emotional wellness, and practical life skills.
Conducted via Zoom and led by experienced facilitators, the programme supports people who have been marginalised or displaced, equipping them with tools to build purpose-driven lives. It’s free, inclusive, and deeply empowering, designed to awaken leaders who often don’t get the chance to shine.
Earl Semu, Director of the Global Family Initiative and a lead facilitator at SafePlace International, says the course is designed to help people recognise their inner strength and step into their power.
“Our aim is to make sure that our leaders that were born to be leaders get to recognize the impact that they can make in the community, how healing can be done, and in doing so, we ignite their passion,” says Earl.
Participants don’t just graduate, they evolve. After the course, many go on to lead social impact projects with the help of SafePlace’s Global Family Initiative, which includes mentorship, microgrants, and acts of kindness that build bridges across communities.
“When you go into a community where you feed children that are in need, there’s no place for transphobia, there’s no place for homophobia,” Earl explains. “You start to foster genuine connections.”
For Pastor Wendy Ndala, who leads an LGBTQIA+-affirming church and a graduate says the programme was a turning point in her leadership and spiritual journey.
“Being in this programme has assisted me in so many ways in how to lead and how to be a mother also, because there’s parenting classes too,” says Wendy. “We are here to build community that has Christ. People must know there are LGBTIQ+ churches. We are here for them, we are here to love and build.”
Wendy acknowledges the challenges of being both queer and a religious leader in a conservative society but remains grounded in faith. “The Bible says, ‘Let us all go to the house of the Lord.’ It does not say go because you are gay or straight,” she says. “It just says let us go.”
Thabsie Mabezane, a 2023 graduate and assistant facilitator, has also seen her life and activism change through the Dream Academy.
“I’ve grown into international spaces, I find myself even at the UN events,” she shares. “This programme has impacted my advocacy in such a way that people are recognising the work I do in my community.”
She believes the Dream Academy fills a critical gap in queer leadership development.
“Many young leaders do not know what leadership is, they don’t even know how to help themselves when they are in difficult situations,” says Thabsie. “This programme teaches you how to find healing within yourself and lift up your skills.”
At the most recent graduation in Johannesburg, Mbali Shongwe from Mindful Organisation delivered a powerful address that reminded the cohort of their purpose and potential.
“The Dream Academy is not just your typical classroom, it’s a sacred space of community-led learning,” she said. “You’ve not only gained skills, you’ve reclaimed your voice, you’ve chosen healing, and that is leadership.”
“Do not chase success, chase significance. Your legacy won’t be defined by how high you climb, but by how deeply you are rooted.”
SafePlace International’s Dream Academy continues to draw participants from across Africa and Europe, including countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ghana, and Malawi, welcoming people from all walks of life to a space of transformation and growth.
It’s not just a programme, it’s a movement, where healing, compassion, and authentic leadership take centre stage. With every graduate, a new leader is born. And with every act of kindness, a more inclusive world is being built.
