When Michelle Lissoos recently crossed paths with a former student she had not seen in years, it took a moment to connect the young woman standing before her with the teenager she remembered from 2010. Michka Wilson is now co-director of her own media company, working with brands, non-profits and churches across nearly twenty countries. The reunion was unplanned, but the story it surfaced has been sixteen years in the making.
In 2010, iSchoolAfrica launched its Youth Press Team initiative, giving young South Africans from schools across the country an opportunity to report on the FIFA World Cup from their own communities and host cities. Armed with Apple technology, cameras and a platform to tell their stories, learners documented the atmosphere, culture and excitement surrounding one of the most significant moments in South African history. The programme went on to win the Ubuntu Loerie Award for its positive contribution to youth development and social impact.
Now, sixteen years later, that impact is still unfolding. Wilson, who now co-runs a successful media company with her husband, is one example of how early exposure, mentorship and opportunity can shape future careers. Reflecting on her experience as part of the iSchoolAfrica Youth Press Team, Wilson, described the programme as the moment storytelling first became real and tangible to her.
“I remember joining the iSchoolAfrica press team and being immediately drawn to how it bridged technology and storytelling in a way that felt genuinely exciting,” said Wilson. “It was also where I fell in love with videography for the first time.”
The initiative allowed learners to report on host cities, stadium preparations and cultural moments surrounding the tournament, while giving young South Africans a voice during a globally significant event. For many participants, it was their first experience of journalism, production and digital storytelling in a professional environment. Wilson recalls early morning interviews, collaborative editing sessions and travelling to Port Elizabeth to attend a World Cup match as defining moments of her high school years.
“But there was also the side where we had to manage timelines, coordinate as a team, divide responsibilities, hold each other accountable, and somehow bring a coherent final product together,” she said.
Her work has taken her to nearly twenty countries, a journey she traces back in part to her experience with the iSchoolAfrica Youth Press Team. “Programmes like these offer more than experiences; they offer a foundation and something solid and lasting on which to build an entire life,” she said.
For Lissoos, reconnecting with Wilson was an emotional reminder of why initiatives centred on access, creativity and youth empowerment matter.
“What began as an opportunity for young people to participate in a historic sporting event became something much bigger,” said Lissoos. “Seeing participants grow into leaders, entrepreneurs and creatives in their own right is the real legacy of programmes like these.” With the FIFA World Cup once again under way, the reunion between Lissoos and Wilson offers a timely reminder that some of the tournament’s most enduring legacies are not always measured in goals, trophies or attendance figures. They can also be found in the lives and careers shaped by opportunities created around the event.
Sixteen years on, the 2010 FIFA World Cup is remembered for its stadiums, vuvuzelas and a country that showed the world what it was capable of. Wilson’s story is a quieter kind of legacy, one that started with a camera, a deadline and a platform, and grew into a career spanning continents. It is a reminder that some of what that tournament set in motion is still unfolding beyond the football pitch.
iSchoolAfrica continues this legacy through its Media Change Maker Programme, which empowers young South Africans to share their perspectives on issues affecting their communities.
“The programme gives young people a voice and encourages them to become agents of positive social change,” said Lissoos.
About iSchoolAfrica
iSchoolAfrica is an education initiative that supports digital learning and educational transformation in schools across South Africa through technology, teacher development and learner-focused programmes designed to unlock future opportunities.
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