News

MY STORY: VUYO DUBE

Vuyo Dube was born on 15 August 1994 in Soweto. Shortly, after his birth, his mom was diagnosed with a mental illness and he was taken to live with his aunt at the age of 5. Vuyo speaks of his challenges he has faced in his life - living on the street and having to fend for himself. Through it all, Vuyo has held a positive attitude and has just recently graduated as a Siyazenzela graduate in Wilderness Foundation Africa’s Youth Development Programme.

LITA BEUKES COLE MEMORIAL CONSERVATION AWARD

The Lita Beukes Cole Memorial Conservation Award was handed out at an event at Babylonstoren on 27 September 2017. The inaugural award ceremony coincided with the opening of the Lita Beukes garden, which honours the memory of this passionate...

WFA WELCOMES BABY GORILLA

Wilderness Foundation Africa were recently honoured to be invited by Volkswagen Group South Africa to take part in a gorilla naming ceremony in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.

On Friday 1 September, Dr Andrew Muir, CEO of Wilderness Foundation...

A life changing story of an Umzi Wethu Graduate

Lwazi Xinwa, Umzi 5 graduate, has been working at Wilderness Foundation Africa for 8 years. He is currently working as Senior Facilitator of the Youth Development Programme. Lwazi is a great facilitator who has a big heart for his students and has an incredible story that we would like to share with you:

Umzi Wethu graduate, living and working overseas at some of the most popular restaurants in the world

Kwanele Ncipa, an Umzi 7 graduate, was born in a small town called Alexandria in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. He is now working as a line 2 cook in Rhode Island USA. At the age of 29 years old, Kwanele has travelled and worked internationally in some of the best restaurants in the world.
Kwanele is one of many students who have proven that no matter your circumstance, if you follow your dream and work hard you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
Read below our interview with Kwanele to find out more about his inspiring story.

Vietnam, Be My Hero

In July 2017, 11 young people from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, were brought to South Africa for a life-changing wilderness experience as part of the Wild Rhino Campaign. After the trail, the youth visited a rhino orphanage and also had the opportunity to learn more from leading wildlife crime, rhino veterinary and rhino protection experts during a full day workshop at the Wilderness Leadership School in Durban. The young people were deeply touched by what they saw and learnt, and have returned to Vietnam as Rhino Ambassadors – committed to making a difference in changing the hearts and minds of their communities.

Umzi Wethu Graduate receives International Scholarship.

Miselwa Nogqala, Catering events manager and Siyazenzela Facilitator of Wilderness Foundation Africa, recently received the exciting news that she was chosen on the AVP International Scholarship to attend the 2017 AVP World Gathering in Nepal, November 5-11 2017.

Umzi Wethu students on a Wilderness Trail

Every year, Haberdashers UK funds a group of students to visit South Africa after they have completed their last year of school. The students visit for a period of 2 weeks, where they get to experience our beautiful country and do some voluntary work. As part of their visit, they attend a 5 day wilderness trail in the Imfolozi Game Reserve, Kwazulu Natal. Haberdashers kindly sponsor a few of Wilderness Foundation Africa’s Umzi Wethu students to join them on trail each year.
In order to select the Umzi Wethu students who will attend this wilderness trail, our full group of students are asked to write a motivational essay on why they should be given the opportunity to go on the 5 day trail.

Changing lives through our Youth Development Programme

Our Youth Development Programmes: Siyazenzela and Umzi Wethu are focused on teaching core skills in the hospitality industry which will later on assist our students in finding jobs.
We recently caught up with two graduates, Vuyolwethu Mfini and Phumeza, for a quick interview to find out what life after Umzi Wethu and Siyazenzela was like.

Happy birthday Lulu Komani – WFA Youth Development Programme Receptionist.

“I am from a small town called Paterson. I lived on a farm and felt very isolated living there. I heard many stories about this beautiful place called Port Elizabeth and I wanted to explore life. It was very difficult for a person like me to move and follow my dreams. I was scared and I didn’t know where to start but I decided I will go for it, as I wanted change not only for myself but for the next generation of my family. I didn’t want my cousins growing up like me, isolated in Paterson. I wanted them to be able to know they could come visit me in Port Elizabeth and that there was more to life outside of Paterson. I wanted to become more independent and explore life. I trusted that if God made plans for me, I would move.