By Janet Wakelin | Senior Fundraiser
SA College for Tourism students’ impress wool farmers from across the globe!
In April 2014, Merino South Africa hosted some 120 Merino wool farmers from Argentine, Australia, Hungary, New Zealand, UK and USA. As part of their tour in South Africa, the visitors spent three days in Graaff-Reinet. Thanks to one of the College's major donors, the SA College for Tourism was included as one of the Graaff-Reinet highlights of the visit. On their first evening, following an organ recital in the Grootte Kerk, a National Monument and Graaff-Reinet landmark, the College hosted a cocktail party for the tour group at the Libertas Club, another landmark of Graaff-Reinet. The tour group also visited the Rubidge farm to view the Karoo fossils and afterwards enjoyed a picnic luncheon prepared and served by the students. Despite only starting their training in January this year, the students excelled.
On their final evening, the visiting group was served a four course dinner by the students at the College. During the dinner they were informed about the College’s activities, with one of the students sharing her story of the College as “a beacon of hope to so many young women like her”. This brought the guests to their feet with many a tear being wiped away.
“Wow! What a day. This evening at the SA College for Tourism was world class. What a testimony. The young lass spoke for 10 minutes from her heart with no notes and had the audience spell bound and extremely moved. Food and service was superb.” - Julian Southey, President of Merino SA.
South African Deputy-Minister of Tourism, Ms Tokozile Xasa, visits SA College for Tourism
The South African Deputy-Minister of Tourism, Ms Tokozile Xasa, visited the SA College for Tourism on Friday, 7 March. In the wake of South Africa signing up for the UN International Woman’s Day Commemoration, this year entitled, Equality for Woman is Progress for All: Inspiring Change, Ms Xasa spoke to this theme, as it is the focus of the College's training programme.
The Deputy-Chairperson of the Student Committee, speaking on behalf of the students, explained that the Class of 2014 come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, and different countries, which they all find very enriching. The only thing they all have in common, is that they hail from very poor families and would not have had the opportunity for tertiary education, had it not been for the College’s bursaries. Her closing remarks appealed to Ms Xasa to encourage tourism establishments to employ the SA College for Tourism graduates.
Referring to the theme for the day, Deputy-Minister Xasa encouraged the students to make the most of the wonderful opportunity afforded to them by the College. Like Dr Anton Rupert, who founded the College, she firmly believes in the famous words: educate a woman and you educate a nation.
The Deputy-Minister of Tourism, as the sixth of seven siblings who grew up with a single mother, and then with family members from the age of 10 when her mother passed away, said that the education the students were receiving would turn out to be a very powerful weapon in their quest to escape deprived backgrounds.
Her advice to the students was to not think of themselves as just waitresses or chefs, but as entrepreneurs in the making.
Ms Xasa undertook to approach the tourism industry and her own department to support the College in its endeavours, thereby providing a shining example of a private/public enterprise.
The visit was concluded with lunch, eagerly prepared and served by the students.
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