because -- she is my everything. >> reporter: tonight in soweto, there are children by the thousandsr dream, she told us, college, a career, and to "take myself far." it is a dream that may not be deferred, because of one american who heard nelson mandela's call and answered. for "nightline," byron Ñipitts, soweto. >> one man making a difference, thank you very much to byron pitts for that. >>> and next up, we'll update you on the crackdown in egypt, and big protests. we're on scene. ing. there's only two of us... how much dirt can we manufacture? more than you think. very little. [ doorbell rings ] [ lee ] let's have a look, morty. it's a sweeper. what's this? what's that? well we'll find out. we'll find out. [ lee ] it goes under all the way to the back wall. i came in under the assumption that it was clean. i've been living in a fool's paradise! oh boy... there you go... morty just summed it up. the next 44 years we'll be fine. but sometimes, i still struggled to get going, even get through the day. so i was honest with my doctor. i told her i'd been feeling stuck for a long time.

. >> reporter: for children by the hundred living in the ghettos of the south african township of soweto -- >> reporter: jose bright, an american lawyer from compton, california. you are a long way from compton, california. >> oh, yes, i have been here now 18 years. and this is home. >> reporter: bright runs a school, the african name the locals gave him, roughly translated "a gift from god." most of the students ages 8 to 18 are orphans, kids who lost one or both parents in this country long ravaged by hiv/aids. >> my mother died when i was 2. that's what my grandmother told me. >> reporter: kids like 17-year-old elizabeth. her mother and sister died from aids. she lives in the small house with her grandmother and five other relatives. >> you can see, there is nothing in there, in the refrigerator. >> reporter: their life is lean. seven people share one table with two chairs. they use the hot plate to cook meals and heat the house. it is winter in south africa, at night temperatures can drop into the 30s. but there is a bright spirit, elizabeth's dark circumstance cannot dim, thanks she

s amy goodman speaking from soweto .en we come back, we look at a new film that follows three gifted singers at the university of cape town's opera school, which was closed to blacks during apartheid. stay with us. ♪ [music break] >> this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm juan gonzalez. as people around the world mark nesson mandela's 95th birthday -- mark nelson mandela's 95th birthday, we look at a new film that follows three gifted singers at the university of cape town's opera school, which was once close to black students. sing."alled "i live to this is a clip featuring one of the students, thesale, where he visits the robben island, where nelson mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. >> it was a revelation to see were nelson mandela stayed for such a long time. > >> for me it was interesting to see how small it was. the sale was literally smaller than most peoples. to have someone come out of a place like that and has such peace in his heart, still, wow, that is amazing. >> i learned

> una imagen de nelson mandela que pinsÓ un artista de graffitis se alza en el conocido barrio de sowetoe comprometerte. cÁncer, aprovecha esta luna creciente para hacer las paces con alguien de tu familia, tranquilo que todo vuelve a la normalidad. y leo ahora tendrÁs mas fe en ti y esto te harÁ ganar simpatÍa y colaboraciÓn de muchas personas, y quiero que no pienses en el tema laboral porque se solucionaria. virgo:es un tiempo prometedor en la economÍa, para el banco rÁpido. libra: llegÓ el momento de poner sus pensamientos en orden para tomar el control. y prepÁrate porque vas a triunfar en todo lo que emprendas. escorpio: quiero que vivas con mucha tranquilidad, tendrÁs que reconocer ciertos erros y no tropezar con la misma piedra. >>> de eso mismo. >>> sagitario, presta mucha atenciÓn a esta persona que te va a comentar algo importante, llÉvate de esa persona. >>> capricornio: no lleves la contraria a nadie, porque te puedes ver involucrado en un enfrentamiento. acuario: llega la persona indicada, y lo mÁs importante que necesitas a poner en practica, pronto te sentirÁs completamen

him walking hand in hand nelson mandela tomorrow ♪ ♪ ♪ bring back nelson mandela bring him back to sowetoafrica tomorrow ♪ ♪ [applause] >> good morning. as we celebrate the legacy and the values of nelson mandela, as we mark his greatness by the reading of his own words, it is important to note that the spirit and the words of nelson mandela have permeated the halls of the capitol for many years many times. on two occasions, more than nearly more than any person in history, nelson mandela addressed a joint session of congress in 1990 as deputy president of the african national congress. he urged us to keep our apartheid sanctions in place. his stirring words inspired and instructed us, and that instruction continued with randall robinson of transafrica, with ron, our former colleague, with bill gray, whom we thought was going to be with us today, but i understand his wife, andrea -- and i want to recognize bill gray's work and the gray family's contribution. [applause] mr. clyburn, our distinguished assistant leader and, of course, with maxine and the list goes on and on. and that leaders

him walking hand in hand nelson mandela tomorrow ♪ >> ♪ bring back nelson mandela bring him back to sowetoant to see him walking down the street of south africa omorrow ♪ ♪ [applause] >> good morning. as we celebrate the legacy and the values of nelson mandela, as we mark his greatness by the reading of his own words, it is important to note that the spirit and the words of nelson mandela have permeated the halls of the capitol for many years many times. on two occasions, more than nearly more than any person in history, nelson mandela addressed a joint session of congress in 1990 as deputy president of the african national congress. he urged us to keep our apartheid sanctions in place. his stirring words inspired and instructed us, and that instruction continued with randall robinson of transafrica, with ron, our former colleague, with bill gray, whom we thought was going to be with us today, but i understand his wife, andrea -- and i want to recognize bill gray's work and the great family's contribution. [applause] mr. clyburn, our distinguished assistant leader and, of course, with maxi