Alexandria-based Au Pair Enlightens Students About South Africa

Nokuphila “Phily” Nhlumayo of South Africa journeyed to Alexandria to work as an au pair through the Old Town branch of Au Pair in America.

Nhlumayo cares for the children of an Alexandria family, but she also has a mission to spread understanding of her South African background to young Americans.

“Phily is an aupair who believes deeply in the need for more cultural exchange between peoples,” said Patricia Van Haste, Nhlumayo’s community counselor with Au Pair in America. “She is a great example of the future of South Africa.”

Nhlumayo recently spoke to an Advanced Placement humanities class at Bishop Ireton with her American friend Emily Marquet, a former exchange student in South Africa and a recent Bishop Ireton graduate.

Nhlumayo, who is from Durban, spoke about the diversity of South Africa, especially its languages and cultures. Eleven languages are recognized by the South African constitution; she speaks four of them.

Nhlumayo dropped out of competition in “South African Idol,” a popular television program based on “American Idol” as her family did not consider it proper conduct for a young Zulu woman.