We’ve had a busy couple of weeks here at the Centre, but we’ve also had fun in equal measure, so it’s all good. Winter still has us in its chilly clutches and doesn’t look set to let go anytime soon. That said, we’re all doing our best to soldier on as best we can beneath the many layers we don each morning in a bid to stay warm. Roll on September!
Koos, our Stoep Supervisor and resident demagogue, approached us recently with a wonderfully innovative idea. He says he’d love to share some of the knowledge he’s gleaned over the years while holding court outside our Deli. And you can take it from us, he’s one wise old bird. His main areas of expertise are thieving squirrels, cheeky zebras and all manner of cheetahs. He also has a passion for the environment and mother nature, and is constantly coming up with ingenious ways for us to be more “eco-friendly”. If you have a specific question for Koos please email us. We’ll also include one or two nuggets of useful information at the end of our weekly updates.
2011 INTERNSHIP
HESC 2011 Intern Student – Simon Mnisi
The US Friends of HESC allocated $5000 of their total funds raised towards education. The only stipulation being that the recipient be equipped with the necessary skills to qualify for a career in conservation. We’re pleased to announce that the venture has proved to be a huge success, and Innocent Sibuyi – last year’s sponsored student – has decided to continue his studies in the tourism industry.
We were then faced with finding a replacement to fill Innocent’s rather hefty shoes.
Over the course of eight weeks we invited four different students to spend some time at the Centre. Christo Schreiber allocated them each with a set of tasks and then left them alone for the day to see how they faired.
Of the four, Simon was the one that surprised Christo the most.
He was always on time, performed all his tasks to perfection, and never needed checking up on. Simon also showed a keen interest in everything, and even though he is quite shy he wasn’t afraid to use his initiative. Because he didn’t have a cell phone he would write a note to say where he was going next, and if he’d finished his own work he’d invariably head to the butchery to help Elias wash crates and sort meat. The opposite of a clock-watcher, this eager beaver had to be reminded to take a break for lunch. With this kind of work ethic already instilled in him, Simon was the obvious choice for the 2011 internship.
NEW CUBS
Lana’s new cubs
