Umzi Wethu Amazing Race - Somerset East

Team work is everything!

This week the Umzi Wethu Amazing Race took place in Somerset East with the Umzi 6s. They started off with a fitness routine that evened out the playing field – if they wanted to do well they had to follow instructions and do so as quickly as possible.

The teams went off on different routes so as not to form bottlenecks at the roadblocks. Some went to the detour, some went to the library to learn how to find books, others went to the primary school to mover water from one bucket to another using only a cup!

The students all got into the swing of things and were very competitive and excited. They performed each task as if it their future depended on it. Other roadblocks along the way included a stop at Spar where they learnt how to pack groceries into bags and sang the Spar song for the leaving customers. They also had to go to the NG Kerk and look up a bible verse.

One of the best roadblocks for the staff was the eating roadblock, the students did not agree. They each had to eat something from our variety of highly unappetising dishes – cabbage in vinegar, sour worms in sweetcorn, chopped onion mixed with jelly powder, and pilchards drenched in condensed milk! This meal was followed up with a big gulp of “Jigismur” a herbal health drink that leaves an aftertaste for the rest of the day. It was very amusing to watch the students cheering each other on to eat faster – this was until it was their turn to eat! The facial expressions will never be lived down.

In the race the students also had to chop and bag 2 bags of wood per team. They flew through this task as if it was nothing. One of the favourite parts of the race for the students was the horse-riding roadblock. Here they were given the opportunity to handle and ride horses. Every student got a chance and they thoroughly enjoyed it.

Although there was only one team that could win there were no sour faces or bad-sportmanship. They all cheered each other and joked and teased during lunch which was eaten at the museum picnic spot. Throughout the race the students showed that they were able to work as a team even though they were with people who were not necessarily their close friends. They treated the public with respect and generally showed a level of enthusiasm that was the driving force of the race.

I feel that the race was a huge success, mainly because all the students had a great time and made memories that they will share always. The way the talked about it and re-enacted scenes from the day showed that they truly enjoyed it. They even asked when we would organise an Umzi Wethu “Fear Factor” for them, and told us numerous times how much fun they had. The support from the staff was much appreciated and I could not have pulled it off without them. Thanx guys!

Megan

Umzi is all about people and nature

Some Umzi people doing what they do!

No matter how you look at it, Umzi Wethu is always all about people and their amazing stories. In this post I've put together a few highlights from the last few months which show off some of the lives of Umzi people.

It was a really great surprise to have Bongani and Simpiwe pop round the office recently in their smart SANPARKS uniforms. These young men graduated as field rangers from Umzi and are now part of the marine division at SANPARKS who take care of issues such as combating perlemoen poaching and conservation tasks at Bird Island.

On the recent student trail in the Woody Cape section of the Greater Addo Park it was great to meet up with Thembisa and Zanele who are both working as rangers for SANPARKS. These two ladies are doing an excellent job and are an example of what can be achieved when you put your mind to something.

Another Umzi graduate who is making us proud is Lincoln (left, with Kwanele from Umzi 7) who graduated in 2008 and joined the Wilderness Foundation as a Junior Guide. Lincoln has shown great commitment and eagerness to learn - taking every opportunity to get out into nature. He has a passion for conservation and has been a great addition to our training team in Somerset East where he is now based. Together with his role as a trainer, he is also involved in various trails programs and co-ordinates our social outreach in Somerset East.

No sooner had Lulu (right) moved across to the Umzi Wethu office from her job at the Wilderness Foundation head office and she was already off on trail with Lihle and the students.There is something infectious about Lihle's love for nature and it seems Lulu has caught a bit of that. She had a great time out and about at Woody Cape - sleeping under the stars, enjoying the sights and sounds of the wild!

Up until now, 2009 has been an incredible year for Umzi and its people - I have no doubt that as we race towards 2010 these amazing stories will continue to get told!

-- Paul

Nature is the best medicine

Our wellness interns, Megan and Alan, reflect on this powerful wilderness experience.

We were unsure of what to expect. We thought it would be tough and challenging. Even though it would put us out of our comfort zones, we were up to the challenge. Alan was terrified at the fact that we would not be sleeping in tents but under the stars. Megan was more worried about sleeping with bugs.

Although the actual trails were fairly tiring we were amazed at the beauty of the natural environment that is right on our doorstep but we never get to appreciate. The trails were about more than just experiencing nature - we also learnt so much about various plants and animals, as well as the history of the area. This allowed us to become more in touch with the wilderness as we were more knowledgeable about it. For Megan the best part of the hikes was the untouched beach that we got to explore and the whales and dolphins that made the experience all the more magical.

For Alan the best part of the trail was not being disturbed by technology, this gave him the chance to really get in tune with himself. Trails provided an opportunity to just be yourself and relax, we did not even know the time of day which did not matter because we did not have to worry about the usual hustle and busle of life. It was a time out.

The wiseman and Lihle told many stories about the bush and about the Wilderness Foundation and Umzi Wethu which made the students feel that they are truly part of something great. The students went into the trails feeling apprehensive and worried about various parts of bush life yet in the end they all enjoyed it in their own way, and fully used this opportunity to grow and reconnect with themselves.

We all appreciated the opportunity to have such a wonderful experience. This is truly an integral part of the development of students into successful adults and should be continued, always.

Megan and Alan

Pride in our natural environment

Enjoy the healing power of nature!

I've just posted some new photographs of our Pride program in action. Pride is coordinated by Lihle Mbokazi who hails from the Wilderenss Leadership School in KZN. Through the two Eastern Cape Pride programs, Lihle and her guides provide young South African learners from previously disadvantaged schools the opportunity to spend a day getting in touch with their natural heritage. Over the last year, Pride has taken well over 500 learners on trail.

Pride of Groendal operates out of the Groendal Wilderness Area just outside Uitenhage and Pride of Boschberg takes place on the beautiful Boschberg mountain in Somerset East. Lihle and her team take groups of learners on wilderness walks, introducing them to the splendor of protected areas which these young people may never have gotten to see otherwise. Accompanied by trained "Pride guides" (older learners who have been trained on various aspects of environmental education) learners get to know more about plants, animals and conservation issues such as saving water and recycling. They are also taught how to identify animal spoor and dung.

Together with the Pride guides, Umzi Wethu students attend these trails as peer educators/mentors. Umzi peer mentors engage the learners in discussions about issues which affect young people in South Africa today (HIV/AIDS, peer pressure, sexual integrity, self-esteem, substance abuse etc.).

Some quotes from participants:

"I’ve learnt a lots from the guide, I learned about Yellowwood trees, I didn’t like the mud, I learnt about Prickle pear, Olive tree it was very nice. I enjoyed myself a lot. I also learnt about the National tree and our national flower Protea." Linda Bruintjies (W.G. Olivier Primary School - 15/11/08)

It was great Privilege for me to be part of the trail and to learn about our natural resources, history and heritage of Somerset East. I enjoyed seeing different kind of trees and walking in the bush listening to Natural sounds." Litemba Ntlahla ( Johnson Nqonqoza High School - 7/02/09)

Hospitality Graduation 2009

The magic of Umzi celebrated!

On Friday 7th August we celebrated the graduation of our 5th group of students at the Ray Mhlaba Skills Centre in Port Elizabeth. At a heartwarming ceremony attended by various Umzi Wethu partners, student families and mentors we joined together to acknowledge the journey each of the graduates have travelled since joining the programme in 2008. I was reminded again of the fact that Umzi Wethu is all about people and the power of relationships.

We where priveledged to have Andrew Muir (Executive Director of Wilderness Foundation) as the keynote speaker and he provided guests with an entertaining and inspiring look at the history of Umzi Wethu. I think we were all reminded no matter which capacity we're involved with the programme, whether directly or more indirectly, that we're part of something special! Over the past 3 years Umzi Wethu has seen the lives of over 50 graduates transformed through the powerful intervention programme culminating in work placement across the eco-tourism industry.

Moving forward in these tough global times we remain positive about the future growth of the Umzi Wethu programme and its ability to fulfil the dreams of future students. To achieve our goals we will continue to build and strengthen partnerships which have always been the foundation upon which the Umzi Model has stood.

Take a look at some of the pictures from graduation here.

Students on the move!

A time to reflect and celebrate!

Its been an incredibly hectic and exciting few months at Umzi Wethu.

In April 2009 we celebrated the graduation of our Umzi 4 conservation students. 13 students graduated and we're please to report that to date we've been able to place almost all these students in jobs as field guides and field rangers. Initial feedback from employers has been overwhelmingly positive with our students fitting in to their new jobs excellently. Special thanks to all those employing partners who have helped us and our students to realise the Umzi dream!

No sooner had the graduation ended and the Umzi team had begun selection for our Umzi 6 (conservation) and 7 (hospitality) intakes. Selection took almost 3 months to complete with Pinky, Paul, Ntombi and Justin interviewing over 80 applicants and screening well over 150 applications in order to select the most suitable candidates for our new intakes. In July 2009 the new students began their journey with us and it has been an amazing time as students begin settling into residence life and getting into the Umzi vibe! For the team there are few better feelings than seeing a group of new Umzi students in their Umzi gear enjoying the excitement of new beginnings. The group dynamic between students at both academies has been excellent and we're filled with confidence that we're on the road to two more highly successful intakes. Thanks to everyone who has been involved in the selection process, especially our selection partners in the student's communities that identify students for us.

I must take this chance to introduce our excellent Somerset East Management Team - Chantelle (programme coordinator), Justin (facilitator), Lincoln (programme assistant) and Katie (house mother) - these are the people making Umzi happen at our conservation academy at the base of the beautiful Boschberg mountain.

Early August 2009 sees the Umzi 5 hospitality students graduating after an absolutely fantastic year at the Port Elizabeth academy. With only 1 week to go we're looking at a new record - all 20 students selected for this intake are certain to graduate on Friday. Well done to the entire team, staff and students for working incredibly hard to make this year the overwhelming success that it has been. Its with some sadness that we prepare for graduation as the lives of the staff and students become so intimately connected throughout the year. There has been a strong family spirit at the Port Elizabeth academy which I guess is exactly what Umzi is all about - creating home and family for those whose families have been devestated by poverty and other social factors. We've already begun assisting these students with job placement and have no doubt that within the coming weeks we'll have the majority of these students launched into the workplace - this is the ultimate goal of Umzi. This year we've formed a number of new employing partnerships with graduates entering work places both urban and rural - we now look forward to seeing our graduates soaring!

Wow - its great to reflect on how far we've come in just a few short years. With the continued support of all partners we venture into the next phase of Umzi with great expectation and excitement!

Warm regards

The Umzi Team

Umzi news on the web!

Greetings from the Umzi Wethu team!

With so many exciting developments happening at Umzi each week we've decided to set up a blog as a way to share the news with everyone. While much of the success of our programme is achieved through the time and energy put in by our management teams - we would not be able to achieve any of this without the support and input from our many partners (funders, service providers, mentors and many more). A great big word of thanks to everyone who has had a part in making Umzi happen!

We hope to be able to regularly update this site with news from our exciting operations as a way of keeping you all posted. Perhaps from time to time we'll have guest posts from mentors, students, and others involved with the magic of Umzi. Together with this blog we have also started a photo blog using picassa web albums in order to share some of the Umzi stories in pictures. You can take a look at this now at http://picasaweb.google.com/umziwethupmu.

By subscribing to this blog you'll be notifed each time we post something new.

Thanks for your interest and support

The Umzi Wethu Team