Jeff and Oprah Winfrey

Before going into the subject 'Jeff and Oprah Winfrey', I want you to read part of an article Jeff wrote regarding Oprah's involvement in South Africa ......

When reading his article carefully, you will also note that here is a man 'looking down' on Africa - a man who seems to have 'outgrown' or at least who tries to forget his personal background and roots.....

Just listen to this:

I've been covering this continent for a dozen years. There's very little about Africa that I haven't seen, heard, smelled or felt.

As a reporter, I've been in parts of Africa that can only be described as Godforsaken, covering stories as varied as famines in Niger, civil wars in devastated regions like Darfur and the victims of civil wars in Uganda and Sierra Leone and mass rapes in the Congo.

I've been up close and personal with the most bizarre characters in war-ravaged places like Libera, people who preferred to go into combat dressed in ways more fitting for a circus than a battle zone and rubbed shoulders with child soldiers barely old enough or tall enough to be carrying weapons of war.

And in Nation after Nation, one recurring image will always haunt me - the faces of those children scarred by war, famine, disease, children forced to become adults in the blink of an eye, children who never be able to just be kids again.

These are the times that I - as an African and as a reporter - ask myself, "How much worse can things get for my people?"

But there are rays of hope. We saw one last week. Oprah Winfrey's decision to spend tens of millions of dollars of her own money to help educate children she's never known in a land so far away from her own....................................................

After having seens his Report on Oprah's School (he had told me about the life-coverage before), I wrote on Tuesday, January 9, at 4:13 am !!!!!

A sleepless night worth it !!!!!!!!

I am impressed - Oprah and Anderson Cooper will for sure be proud of you - this was one of your best 'shows' I have seen up to now.

And his instant reply via his Blackberry:

I am glad you stayed up to watch it ......

One of the PROUDEST moment of my life .......

And I poured my heart out like I've never done before !!!!!!!!!

Thanks for watching !!!!!!!!!

JK

I wrote back (still in the middle of the night at 5:24 am):

I have realized that - it ws very moving and not just a 'show' ,,,,,,

This was you with all your heart !!!!!!!!!!

And Jeff:

...... She's an AMAZING woman ..... and what a presence ...... just being there with her ....... and she 'trusting' me and my reporting (because as you'd expect she's very protective of her reputation and didn't know where I was going with the whole interviewing thing) -

But she was simply AMAZING ..... and she's done what NO other woman has been able to do .........

That makes her even more AMAZING !!!!!!!!

And you are right - I've never been so touched ..... or even so moved by one person's actions ..... and so genuine, so practical, so down-to-earth despite her WEALTH and STATUS !!!!!!!!!!

WHAT A WOMAN !!!!!!!!!!

JK

After having 'digested' his mail, I replied:

You're probably right - she is amazing and she has remained what she most probably always was - a 'human being' ......

Though having read about her in the Internet, I agree with you that she must have been also sometimes been very hurt by all the funny stories about her private life.

But then - of course - she trusted you because you are like her and she must have realized that immediately.

She is very intelligent - and still a woman with a very soft side and very strong feelings for others. And that's what I admire most in her.

And again, he repeated what he had said already before:

You're right ........ I've never been so touched ....... or even so moved ......

What a WOMAN !!!!!!!!!!!

JK

To this I replied:

When I saw the Report again, something struck me:

I realized that it was Oprah who has brought out the best in you ..... it was obviously her influence, her personality and her enchanting way that has let you 'loose your control' .......

Am I right ?????????????

Oprah was a bit defensive in the beginning as she usually is - but then something happened after she spoke to you for a while:

There was a bond - a trust between her and you - almost love !!!!!!!!

Especially when she started touching your hand and you hers and then putting her arms around you - and so did you .......

And suddenly there were two people talking and feeling the same ..... forgetting (at least that's the impression I got) that there was a camera catching this 'special moment' between two people - two people sharing the same feelings .........

I am glad for you because I have never seen you so happy before !!!!!!!!!!

And Jeff:

I am glad you saw that .......... AMAZING isn't it ??????????????

After this he even felt like calling - still all excited - repeating again and again how 'amazing' Oprah was and how happy he felt for being able to spend some time with her..............

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