ENVIRONMENT: The circle of a balanced life
by Larry Claasen,
2014-11-20 12:06:34.0
WHEN Thembelihle Mjamba joined the Groen Sebenza Programme in late 2013, all he was expecting was to learn the technical skills needed in nature conservation.
Mjamba, who has a BSc from the University of Fort Hare, did not have much going for him after his contract with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs was not renewed. He thought he had nothing to lose and everything to gain when he joined the internship programme run by South African National Biodiversity Institute, which provided 800 school leavers and graduates with mentors and training at various environmental entities for two and a half years.
Mjamba says while he was impressed with the technical training, the life skills aspect of the programme was what stood out for him. For instance, he knew little of personal finances before he went on the programme. It also provides lessons on how to conduct yourself at work, conflict resolution, how to communicate clearly and how to manage your career.
Besides giving him new skills, the programme has also taken him far from his home in Alice in the Eastern Cape to intern at CapeNature, in the Western Cape.
Like Mjamba, Nthabeliseni Munyai also had to come a long way to be part of the programme. Prior to joining CapeNature’s Groen Sebenza programme, she had completed a BSc in biodiversity at the University of Venda and was also looking for new opportunities.
Like Mjamba, she agreed that the parts of the programme that dealt with personal development had impressed her the most. Munyai says her overall experience with Groen Sebenza has been good and even when things did not go well — she and a mentor do not get along — it worked out in the end because it taught her to be more resilient. “I learned to handle myself in a crisis. It was a negative but I turned it into a stepping stone.”
When the programme ends Munyai, finding a job will not be her priority — she wants to focus on completing her masters degree on invasive alien flora at the De Hoop Nature Reserve.
For his part, Mjamba is looking for work and is confident that what he has learned at Groen Sebenza will come in use. He has already had several job interviews and is not worried if it keeps him away from his home in the Eastern Cape. “I don’t miss home.
I’m 27. I’m at the age where I’m trying to find myself.”
...
South Africa is a major producer of greenhouse gases and suffers many legacy problems from its mining history. Addressing these and other environmental challenges is an important part of the NDP. Here are some of the goals and immediate steps.
WHEN Thembelihle Mjamba joined the Groen Sebenza Programme in late 2013, all he was expecting was to learn the technical skills needed in nature conservation.
Mjamba, who has a BSc from the University of Fort Hare, did not have much going for him after his contract with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs was not renewed. He thought he had nothing to lose and everything to gain when he joined the internship programme run by South African National Biodiversity Institute, which provided 800 school leavers and graduates with mentors and training at various environmental entities for two and a half years.
Mjamba says while he was impressed with the technical training, the life skills aspect of the programme was what stood out for him. For instance, he knew little of personal finances before he went on the programme. It also provides lessons on how to conduct yourself at work, conflict resolution, how to communicate clearly and how to manage your career.
Besides giving him new skills, the programme has also taken him far from his home in Alice in the Eastern Cape to intern at CapeNature, in the Western Cape.
Like Mjamba, Nthabeliseni Munyai also had to come a long way to be part of the programme. Prior to joining CapeNature’s Groen Sebenza programme, she had completed a BSc in biodiversity at the University of Venda and was also looking for new opportunities.
Like Mjamba, she agreed that the parts of the programme that dealt with personal development had impressed her the most. Munyai says her overall experience with Groen Sebenza has been good and even when things did not go well — she and a mentor do not get along — it worked out in the end because it taught her to be more resilient. “I learned to handle myself in a crisis. It was a negative but I turned it into a stepping stone.”
When the programme ends Munyai, finding a job will not be her priority — she wants to focus on completing her masters degree on invasive alien flora at the De Hoop Nature Reserve.
For his part, Mjamba is looking for work and is confident that what he has learned at Groen Sebenza will come in use. He has already had several job interviews and is not worried if it keeps him away from his home in the Eastern Cape. “I don’t miss home.
I’m 27. I’m at the age where I’m trying to find myself.”
...
South Africa is a major producer of greenhouse gases and suffers many legacy problems from its mining history. Addressing these and other environmental challenges is an important part of the NDP. Here are some of the goals and immediate steps.
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