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.