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