Join esteemed SLP leaders Dolores Battle (Past President ASHA & IALP) and Kia Johnson (immediate past Chair NBASLH) in South Africa to explore how speech-language pathology and audiology services are delivered in urban and rural communities. Meet with fellow practitioners and association leaders while also exploring the rich culture and heritage of Johannesburg and Cape Town. Embark on an exploration of the darkest years in South African history as you learn about apartheid in South Africa including a walking tour of Mandela’s South Africa, and an historical tour of Soweto (South Western Township). 

Giving back and engaging with the local community is an important part of your journey. Visit a facility in an under-resourced community that serves those with different abilities and their families. 

Cultural experiences on this journey include a visit to Cape Peninsula, all the way to the Cape of Good Hope (Cape Point);  a visit to see the rare African penguin in their natural surroundings at Boulders Beach; an exploration of Table Mountain to take in the stunning views of the entire Cape, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Cape Town, and the harbor; and an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of  Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. 

"Nanda journeys is very special. It gives you the opportunity to follow your passion while making a sustainable difference in the lives of people and places in areas of significant need. The experience not only provides significant opportunity for professional and cultural growth but it makes you a more culturally aware for professional work of all people at home. The logistics, the accommodations, the companionship with like minded colleagues makes the journeys more than an ordinary tour. It is a life changing experience. Can't wait to do it again sometime and somewhere soon."

Dr. Dolores Battle

Past president, ASHA and IALP
Speech-Language, Pathology and Audio

Read more about what people are saying about Nanda Journeys HERE

Focus on Professional Interaction

- Meet with the South African Speech-Language-Hearing Association for an overview of SLP and audiology as a professional.

- Interact with speech-language pathology and audiology professionals from a variety of facilities in both Johannesburg and Cape Town. Meaningful interaction and collaboration with SLP and audiology counterparts will focus on the greatest challenges faced in the provision of services as well as other topics of interest. 

- Participants in this journey will enhance their understanding and appreciation of the culture and history of the South African people while learning about the rich diversity of individuals treated.

Program Highlights

- Embark on an exploration of the darkest years in South African history at the Apartheid Museum as well as a driving tour of the South Western Township (Soweto).

- Giving back and engaging with the local community is an important part of your journey. Visit a facility in an under-resourced community that serves those with different abilities and their families. 

Accompanying guest program – alternate activities will be provided for those who do not wish to attend the meetings.

- Explore Pilanesberg Game Reserve, known for Big 5 game viewing in a malaria free environment and just a short 2-hour drive from Johannesburg. 

Please note: All itineraries are subject to change based on availability of hotels, flights and hosting organizations at the time of finalization of booking. Comparable meetings and activities will be arranged should an itinerary change be necessary. 30 days before departure, a finalized itinerary will be available and reflect final details.
 

Depart early this evening and make your way to South Africa.

Your Program Leaders  

Dr. Battle is a former president of both the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association (ASHA) and the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP). She was professor of speech language pathology at SUNY Buffalo State where she was employed for 45 years. 

Dr. Johnson is the Executive Director of the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH). She is also Associate Director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research Satellite in Atlanta, Georgia through the University of Texas at Austin. She completed her doctoral studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville where she earned a Ph.D. in Hearing and Speech Sciences.

Upon arrival at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, you will meet your local guide and transfer to the hotel for check-in, dinner and overnight.

Johannesburg is currently the largest city in Southern Africa with more than six million people and urbanization at 97%. It is a city of contrasts with wealthy suburbs and commercial centers alongside informal settlements, Indian bazaars and African muti (medicine) shops, where traditional healers dispense advice and traditional medicine. Johannesburg is in Gauteng Province. “Gauteng” is a Sotho word meaning Place of Gold.
 

Southern Sun Sandton is in the heart of Sandton and close to shopping and entertainment with a nearby Gautrain Station just moments away. The hotel has onsite dining, a bar and a fitness center with a rooftop pool. Guest rooms are soundproof with blackout curtains and have free Wi-Fi, AC, workstation, walk in shower or bath/shower combo, bathroom amenities.

Enjoy dinner at the hotel restaurant this evening. 

Overnight:  Southern Sun Sandton Hotel (or similar)
Meals: Dinner

After breakfast (provided daily), take part in an orientation and welcome briefing on South Africa with our partner Keira Powers. This comprehensive briefing covers an introduction to your local staff, some historical background, and current information on South African society and economy.

Immediately following, the group will embark on an exploration of the darkest years in South African history at the Apartheid Museum. Likened to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., this haunting museum takes you into the beating heart of the struggle for freedom from apartheid, the grip of the National Party’s regime during apartheid, and the giddy days of liberation. 

Lunch will be provided at a local restaurant.

Explore the massive South Western Township (Soweto) of Johannesburg, the biggest city in South Africa and heart of the Freedom Struggle. In Kliptown, pay a visit Freedom Square, a place where the Freedom Charter was adopted as the guiding document of the Congress Alliance. In Orlando is the famous Vilakazi Street, which has been home to two Nobel peace prize winners and the Hector Pieterson Memorial, the site where the student uprisings of ‘76 began.

Dinner is by individual arrangement (own expense).

Overnight: Southern Sun Sandton (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Start the day with an introductory speaker from an organization such as the South African Speech-Language-Hearing Association for an overview of the state of speech-language pathology and audiology services in South Africa. Chat with a representative of their new Literacy Task Team who are researching ways to formulate effective recommendations on how SASLHA can advocate for improved literacy practices in South Africa due to current shortfalls in reading comprehension amongst local children. Discuss what types of services are available in South Africa, how children with special needs are serviced and in general discover the primary health care and education needs in the country. Uncover the rich history of this diverse country as well as learn about the advances made in narrowing healthcare and education disparities in the post-apartheid era.

Lunch will be provided at a local restaurant today.

A meeting will be requested for this afternoon with local schools, medical facilities and/or a local university such as the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Speech Pathology & Audiology Department. Discuss what programs they have for preparation of speech language pathologists and audiologists in South Africa. Learn about the research needs for people with speech language hearing needs in South Africa. Explore the challenges that remain as the country transforms to a democratic healthcare and education system. 

Guest program:
Guests will venture to Pretoria, South Africa’s political capital filled with stunning architectural and cultural history. At the Voortrekker Monument, see an unparalleled view of the city and take a moment to reflect upon the importance and long-term repercussions of the actions of the first whites to conquer South Africa’s interior and northern territories. Later, visit Church Square and the Union Buildings, which are the seat of the South African national government and site of Nelson Mandela’s presidential inauguration.

Dinner is by individual arrangement (own expense).

Overnight: Southern Sun Sandton (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Say goodbye to Johannesburg today. Travel north via private motor coach to the Pilanesberg Game Reserve (2 hours). Pilanesberg Game Reserve offers safari’s as Big 5 and most other large mammals of Southern Africa are represented in the reserve. 

Bakubung Bush Lodge has much to offer and is situated at one of the reserve gates for your convenience. They have a shuttle that runs to Sun City which is nearby (resort and casino area). They have onsite tennis, cricket and volleyball along with a spa, internet lounge, and a pool.

Lunch will be provided after arrival at the lodge. 

Enjoy an afternoon safari! The park has over 7000 animals including the Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Your safari guides will help you see how the animals blend into their surroundings, and you may encounter animals, birds and learn about the flora and fauna of the region. 

Dinner will be provided at the lodge this evening.

Overnight: Bakubung Bush Lodge (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

As the animals prefer to feed during the cool temperatures of early morning, you will venture out early in an open game vehicle to witness exotic plant and animal life in the gentle light of the dawn. You may see lazy hippos and crocodiles along the riverbank, and your guide will help you be on the lookout for the Big Five—lion, Cape buffalo, rhinoceros, leopard, and elephant. Take in stunning South African beauty among the ever-present giraffe, zebra, kudu, impala, and warthog.

Return for lunch at the lodge and enjoy some free time to relax and find respite from the afternoon heat before experiencing another exclusive evening game-spotting adventure.

Overnight: Bakubung Bush Lodge (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Enjoy one last morning game drive before returning via motor coach to O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Lunch is on your own today if not included in your afternoon flight.

Fly to the southern city of Cape Town this afternoon. The oldest port in southern Africa, Cape Town is regularly heralded as one of the most beautiful cities on earth. Tucked into the arms of a broad bay, it is surrounded by white-sand beaches. Cape Town’s Mediterranean look and feel attracts visitors from around the world, and it was the first place settled by European settlers, entrepreneurs, and religious refugees. 

The Southern Sun The Cullinan hotel is located in one of Cape Town’s most sought-after areas, within easy reach of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. The hotel has an outdoor heated pool, fitness center, conference facilities, onsite dining and a bar. Guest rooms have all the amenities you will need including AC, minifridge, free Wi-Fi, bathroom amenities, safe and more.

Dinner will be provided this evening.

Overnight: Southern Sun The Cullinan (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Dinner

This morning you will visit Robben Island (weather permitting), once described by Nelson Mandela as “the harshest, most iron-fisted outpost in the South African penal system,” has become an international symbol of the triumph of the human spirit. Today Robben Island is a living museum and World Heritage Site, a tangible reminder of the past and a symbol of hope for the future.

After lunch the group will visit a clinic or facility in an under-resourced community that serves those with different abilities and their families. Learn about their programs to prepare the differently abled for independent, productive, and happy lives. Exchange information on how children with special needs are served in the schools and community, special education programs and the role of speech-language pathologists, and partnerships for the sustainability of care.

If weather permits, you will have the opportunity to ascend Table Mountain via a revolving aerial cable car this afternoon. This iconic symbol of Cape Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site offering stunning views of the entire Cape Peninsula, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Cape Town, and the harbor.

Dinner is by individual arrangement (own expense).

Overnight: Southern Sun The Cullinan (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Lunch

As a model for the development of speech-language services across the African continent, the program will provide an opportunity to visit a local primary school as well as research academic institutions that are paving the way for the future of South Africa.

Today is set aside for continued professional interaction with your speech-language pathology and audiology counterparts to see a local school as well as a facility such as the Reading Language Gym. Opened in 2007, they provide intensive training for learners with specific barriers to literacy (dyslexia) and language-related learning challenges, from grades 1 to 12. They work within a model of ability rather than disability. 

Guest program:

Guests will escape to the Cape Winelands, where breathtaking vistas, majestic mountain backdrops, rolling vineyards, and quaint Cape Dutch homesteads characterize the famous and award-winning wine estates. Savor the rich history and culture of Stellenbosch, a historic Dutch colonial town now home to one of the country’s best universities.

Lunch will be provided with dinner by individual arrangement (own expense).

Overnight: Southern Sun The Cullinan (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Spend the day with fellow travelers enjoying the sights in and around Cape Town. 

Explore the countryside via a motor coach tour of the Cape Peninsula all the way to the Cape of Good Hope (Cape Point) in Table Mountain National Park. Extraordinary care has been taken to protect this lush reserve of indigenous flora and fauna, and the striking natural beauty of the area makes it a destination for both foreign and local visitors.

After lunch, stop to see the rare African penguins in their natural surroundings at Boulders Beach. There are few places in the world where you can get this close to a breeding colony of penguins, and you’ll get a firsthand look at these flightless birds as they roam freely around the area.

On the way back to town, stop to take a walk through the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens to see some extraordinary indigenous plants.

Say goodbye as you reflect and share memories over a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight: Southern Sun The Cullinan (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Thursday, June 13

The morning is yours to explore independently and prepare for hotel check-out.

 Lunch is on your own this afternoon with meal service provided on your international flight home. Fly back to Washington, DC today (via Johannesburg).

Meals: Breakfast & Provided in Flight

Friday, June 14

Arrive back in the U.S. this morning. 

Dr. Johnson is the Immediate Past Chair of the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH) and a past member of the ASHA Board of Directors. She is the Associate Director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research Satellite in Atlanta, Georgia through the University of Texas at Austin. She completed her Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, has been a speech-language pathologist for 20 years and an academician and researcher for 15 years.

LINKEDIN

Review and download Booking Terms & Conditions HERE

Dr. Battle is Professor Emeritus of Speech Language Pathology at SUNY Buffalo State. She is the former president of both the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP).   She has received numerous awards for her work in multicultural and global issues in the profession including Honors of ASHA, Honored member of the IALP, The Diversity Incentive award from the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Science and Disorders.  

She is widely published in communication disorders in culturally and linguistically diverse populations and  has traveled professionally to 37 countries on five continents including in Kenya, South Africa,  Brazil, Greece, Switzerland, Denmark, Canada,  and Australia.