Kip Kroeger has never been averse to travel. The Kinston native moved with his family to Trent Woods in 2000 before relocating again to attend Duke University in Durham. He lives now in Los Angeles, where he works as an assistant to film producer Michael Shamberg. But the biggest jewel in Kroeger's travel crown is the trip he took with friends to Soweto, South Africa in July 2003.

"When I arrived in South Africa, I was very impressed with Johannesburg," said Kroeger, whose parents still live in Trent Woods. "Soweto, on the other hand, had the most mind-boggling poverty I could have ever conceived. It (the town of Pimville) was designed for 250,00 people, but now houses nearly 3.5 million. It was incomprehensible."

Kroeger and his friend Charlie Ebersol were able to turn their experiences in Soweto into a documentary film titled "Ithuteng: Never Stop Learning."

The film focuses on the Ithuteng Trust, a special school run by "Mama Jackey" Maarohanye. Founded in 1990, it provides support services and teaches life skills to at-risk youth. Among the film's subjects are Dineo, a 14-year-old orphaned rape victim; Lebo, a 22-year-old HIV-positive rape victim who is one of Maarohanye's original students and Victor, a 26-year-old reformed criminal who helps Jackey run Ithuteng Trust.

"One of the hardest parts was interviewing the students and hearing their heartbreaking stories," said Kroeger. "We also had trouble initially convincing people we were serious filmmakers at the age of 20."

Filming for "Ithuteng" lasted 17 days, with Kroeger and Ebersol splitting the labor between them. Ebersol's brother William, just 16 at the time, was brought on as director. Dick Ebersol, the boys' father and an NBC executive, funded the project while their mother, actress Susan Saint James, enthusiastically supported it.

"The idea to do the film came from Peter Wheeler, chief operating officer of the Special Olympics, who said he felt it would make a very compelling film," said Kroeger. "He and Charlie flew over in May 2003 to investigate. Charlie then called me at 4 a.m. one night to say we had to go back to make that film."

Since its completion, "Ithuteng" was awarded Best Humanitarian Film at the 2005 Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Col., where Maarohanye received a $1,000 cash prize. The film also won the praise of Oprah Winfrey, who donated $1 million to Ithuteng Trust after seeing it.

"Oprah is one of the most respected people in the world," Kroeger said. "I think her attention to this school will make a monumental difference both for the school as well as the issues they face there."

Kroeger said he and the Ebersols are still shopping the film around to distributors.

Zac Goldstein can be reached at zgoldstein@freedomenc.com.