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Each
year as the students near graduation, jobs are posted on the Green Futures
Notice Board. The students then put the various life skills in practice
that they have learnt during the year and tailor make their C.V and cover
letter on the computer to apply for the various jobs that they would be
interested in. Interviews are then arranged and the employer makes the
decision as to who they would like to employ.
2007/2008 PAST PUPILS & WHAT THEY ARE UP TO
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Abongile Sonkwele – Abongile is employed at
Grootbos as receptionist with the hope of moving into marketing
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Vuyokazi Gelem – Works at a
large Abalone farm in Gansbaai in the quality control department
of the sea plants factory. Her knowledge of plant biology should
help her here!
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Songezo Matomane – Moved to Paarl
for family reasons and has managed to find very good employment with
a security firm |
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Zolani Gcobo
– Zolani has moved into a very important niche
as landscaping assistant for the Grootbos
Foundations Growing the Future project
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Mtobeli Mtsakoba
– Is now the nursery managers assistant at Platbos nursery
near Gansbaai
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Phindile Mbanyarhu – Had to move
back to the Eastern Cape for family reasons |
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Velile
Maqhumeni
– Is now one of the permanent Green Futures nursery
staff and manages our Tygerboom nursery site
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Sisa Mamve - Sisa
found good employment at Bhodi Khaya Guest farm where he is head
gardener
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Onke Mzilikai
- Onke now works for the Alchor steel company where she is involved
with their administration
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Bulelani Mtobela
- Manages the gardens at Spaces for Sports Community Centre as well
as being soccer coach and life skills mentor to the kids in the
afternoons
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2006/2007 PAST PUPILS & WHAT THEY ARE UP TO
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Bongani Dlangamandla ("Allen") –Allen
has moved back to the Eastern Cape and is furthering his studyies
through Unisa
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Eric Mbalekwa ("Erik")–
Erik is employed in the garden maintenance team at the prestigeous
Windsor Hotel in Hermanus
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Kenneth Malgas (“Kenneth”) – Kenneth
is proudly now the assistant nursery manager at Green Futures |
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Siphiwo Nogwina (“Siphiwo”)
– Has been employed in the Grootbos Foundations
new Growing
The Future project as part of the landscaping team.
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Siyakhula Volibi
("Siyakhula")–Siyakula is a valuable and integral
part of the Green team (who landscape at Grootbos)
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Thobile Mhlanti (“Thobile”) – passed
away |
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Nyelisi
Chumani (“Tuks”)
– Nature guide at Grootbos - Chumani is especially
interested and knowledgable on birds.
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Viola Siyotywa (“Viola”)
- Facilitator at Green Futures College and teaches the computer
literacy component of the Green Futures course.
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Nqumla Vuyani (“Vuyani”)
- Has joined the South African Police Force
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Mziwenkosi (“Kosi”)
- Is employed as a landscaping assistant at Witkrans near
Gansbaai
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Beauty (“Beauty”)
- Nature guide at Grootbos specialising in forest walks and
vegetation.
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2005/2006 PAST PUPILS & WHAT THEY ARE UP TO
| Bulelani
Viteka ("Bulelani") - After the major fire
in 2006 that hit the Overberg, Grootbos rebuilt its Forest Lodge and
needed skilled gardeners to help design and maintain the garden for
the future. Belelani was selected to be a gardener at Grootbos Forest
Lodge. |
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| Clifford
Siko ("Clifford")– Platbos is a unique forest
in the valley behind Grootbos that is starting guided nature trails.
Clifford is helping to maintain the forest trails and work in their
Nursery. |
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| Nompikiso
Danisa (“Cilena”) – Cilena showed a keen interst in plants
and propogation throughout her time at Green Futures. We therefore
had no doubt that she would able to fill the position of nursery assistant
in our green Futures nursery. Here she assist nursery manager Johan
Strydom with all aspects of running the Green futures nursery including
propogation, bagging up, caring for and selling our range of indigenous
plants. |
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| Azukile
Mpofu (“Azukile”)
– After the major fire in 2006 that hit the Overberg, Grootbos
rebuilt its Forest Lodge and needed skilled gardeners to help design
and maintain the garden for the future. Belelani was selected to be
a gardener at Grootbos Forest Lodge. |
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| Zilindile
Bonakele ("Joseph")–A local farm - Wolfefontein
has employed Joseph to work in their gardens. |
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| Sabelo
Jonase (“Sabelo”) –guide at Grootbos Forest Lodge |
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| Rigardo
Plaatjies (“Rigardo”)
– Rigardo's dream was always to be able to work in a
kitchen and train up to be a chef. Grootbos has taken him under their
wing where his dream is soon to become reality. |
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| Nkosinathi
Msweli (“Ally”) - guide at Grootbos |
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| Solomon
Ntlathi (“Solomon”) - After the major fire in 2006 that hit
the Overberg, Grootbos rebuilt its Forest Lodge and needed skilled
gardeners to help design and maintain the garden for the future. Belelani
was selected to be a gardener at Grootbos Forest Lodge. |
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| Xolile
Ntlangula (“Xolile”) - Platbos is a unique forest in the valley
behind Grootbos that is starting guided nature trails. Clifford is
helping to maintain the forest trails and work in their Nursery. |
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| Lindikhaya
Qayi (“Lindikhaya”) - After the major fire in 2006 that hit
the Overberg, Grootbos rebuilt its Forest Lodge and needed skilled
gardeners to help design and maintain the garden for the future. Belelani
was selected to be a gardener at Grootbos Forest Lodge. |
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2004/2005 PAST PUPILS & WHAT THEY ARE UP TO
| Mziwekhaya
Potwana ("Khaya") – Khaya is putting his practical
landscaping knowledge to good use at Blue Gum Lodge near Stanford
where he is involved in gardening and general maintenance of the estate. |
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| Yanga
Tshefu ("Yanga") – Having spent his weekends
working at Super Plants in Hermanus while a student at Green Futures,
Yanga is now employed full time assisting clients with sales, as well
as caring and maintaining the plants in the Nursery. |
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| Cameron
Damon ("Cameron") – Cameron received a bursary
from WWF's capacity building fund to undertake a years internship
at Green Futures. During this time he will be assisting horticultural
lecturer, Hilary Bosher with teaching and practicals as well as developing
his managment skills on training courses and supervising landscaping
projects. |
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| Thembisile
Sylvia Mbangeni ("Sylvia") – Sylvia is putting
her lifeskills training to good effect working a an official undertaking
cofer registration for elections. |
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| Sakhele
Bhadula ("Albert") – Alberts smiling face and
natural charm is being put to good use as a Nature Guide at Grootbos
Nature Reserve. He is responsible for leading local and international
visitors on tours of the garden, Green Futures College, Nature Reserve
and coast. From all reports Albert is doing a great job as an ambassodor
for Green Futures. |
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| Bulelwa
Beauty Nodada ("Beauty") – While at Green Futures
it became obvious that Beauty realy enjoys food. It was therefore
no suprise to hear that she is employed as a chef at the Magic Moments
Resturaunt in Stanford. We've tasted her pizza's and they are great! |
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| Zakhele
Mandoyi ("Bongo") – At time of writing Bongo
is between jobs and looking to move to Cape Town to find work in indigenious
landscaping. |
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| Mzuvukile
Likhewu ("Chico") – Chico is working at Mosaic
Farm on the Klein River lagoon where he is responsible for all aspects
of indigenious gardening and landscaping. Chico is busy being trained
to lead visitors on garden and nature trails at Mosaic. |
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| Sibusiso
Moses Mehlo ("Moses") – Moses is emplyed at
Palmiet Valley Estate - a five star wine and tourism estate near Paarl.
There his tasks include garden maintenance, propogation, assisting
with guests and general help in the tourism department. |
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René
Beryl Plaatjies ("René") – Renee's love
for plants and friendly nature landed her a job as nursery assistant
at Build It Nursery in Gansbaai Industrial. There she is responsible
for all aspects of care and sales of plants and is thoroughly enjoying
the challenge.
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| Mphuthumi
Alfred Mtobela ("Alfred")– One of the stars
of the 2004/2005 intake, Alfred landed a great job as an apprentice
to the General Manger at Garden Cities Landscaping and Nursery business
in Durbanville. Alfred is putting his knowledge in propogation and
waterwise landscpaing to good use as well as learning how to manage
teams in the nursery and on landscaping projects. |
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2003/2004 PAST PUPILS & WHAT THEY ARE UP TO
| Cikizwa
(Florence) Plum – After giving birth to a daughter in
November, Florence has returned to her job at Grootbos where she is
employed in front of house and deals with guests on a daily basis.
Here she often has opportunities to discuss what she has learnt at
Green Futures with visitors from all over the world. She has fitted
in very well with the front of house team and is enjoying her new
challenges and responsibilities. |
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| Kutala
Vula – Kutala showed a keen interst in plants and propogation
throughout her time at Green Futures. We therefore had no doubt that
she would ably fill the position of nursery assistant in our green
Futures nursery. Here she assist nursery manager Johan Strydom with
all aspects of running the Green futures nursery including propogation,
bagging up, caring for and selling our range of indigenous plants.
She also does a great job at making us vetkoek (a local delicacy)
on special occasions. |
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| Nozuko
Pelem – Nozuko also gave birth to a baby girl after completing
her course at Green Futures. She has subsequently started the Siyakula
project in her local township of Masakhane. Siyakula means "growing
up" in Xhosa and was Nozuko's brainchild. Her idea was to provide
other inhabitants of her local village who are unable to attend Green
Futures (because of family commitments or language difficukties) with
the opportunity to learn some of the skills she had picked up while
at our College. She presently has three students and has set up a
vegetable garden at the crèche in Masakhane. Nozuko has big
plans with this project that include producing veggies, propogating
indigenous plants and selling of seeds. We are very proud of her initiative
and are actively supporting her in running Siyakula. |
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| Nzuzo
(Jacob) Kihi – Nzuzo was one of the star students from
our 2003 class. He was nominated by his fellow students as well as
the teaching staff to be one of our three students who visited the
Eden Project in Cornwall in 2004. There he learnt a lot about working
in a foreign land and with people from different nationalities. He
has put this to good use back at Grootbos where he was employed as
one of the Lodges nature guides. He has received rave reviews from
guests that he leads on nature walks and drives through the Grootbos
milkwood forest, fynbos and marine landscapes. Nzuzo was nominated
for, and won a merit Award from the South African government for his
achievements in Ecotourrism. |
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Phindile Siko – Pindile's natural
love for landscaping made him the obvious choice for filling a new
post at Grootbos as landscape manager at Grootbos's new Forest Lodge.
There Pindile was involved in the design, layout and planting of
the lodges new gardens and is now responsible for the maintenance
of all aspects of the lodges gardens, pathways and swimming pools.
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| Sizuyile
(Oscar) Mapukata – Oscar's keen interest in water-wise
gardening enabled him to get a job as a landscape gardener at the
Hermanus Golf Estate. There he is responsible for planning and implementing
water-wise fynbos landscaping projects on the course. He also assists
the rest of the team in maintaining the greens and fairways in top
condition for the golfers. Oscar is often seen roaring aroung the
course in his little golf buggy and is really enjoying this exciting
new challenge. |
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| Yoza
(Goodwill) Lolwana – Goodwill was the third of our students
who were nominated from the 2003/2004 class to visit the Eden Project
in Cornwall. There he had a great time and particularly enjoyed the
Cornish country life style. He has brought back the lessons learnt
from Eden and is now employed as a nature guide at Grootbos where
he has done exceptionally well and received rave-reviews from his
guests. Goodwill has grown up in Gansbaai and is very proud to share
the unique natural wonders of our region with local and international
visitors. |
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| Zamikhaya
(David) Dindala – Zami was initially employed by Grootbos
as a gardener at the new Forest lodge. There he did very well in the
early stages of developing the garden. He was subsequently offered
a post at local company in Gansbaai where he is happily employed primarily
as a driver. |
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| Zwelithini
Gwele – Despite continuing to be the class clown throughout
his year at Green Futures Zwelithini has grown in stature and responsibility.
He shows initiative and a great desire to get somewhere in life. He
is presently employed as a Grootbos nature guide and has high hopes
of going far in the ecotourism/conservation fields. |
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| July
– July did exceptionally well as student representative during
his year at Green Futures College and was nominated by his fellow
students as well as lecturers to represent Green Futures as an ambassador
to Eden. There he work-shadowed the biome supervisors and came back
inspired and ready to take up his new role as Estate Manager at Grootbos.
He is now responsible for all aspects of Estate work including |
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Freedom – On completion of his
course at Green Futures, Freedom has returned to his position of
nursery assistant at Green Futures nursery. He previously worked
for Grootbos since 1996 and has always had a passion for plants
and nursery work. Freedom always has a smile and feels that he has
benefited tremendously form his time at Green Futures College. He
now has a far better plant knowledge and is able to carry out all
aspects of propagation and plant care without supervision.
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| Elliot
– Like Oscar, Elliot is now also employed as a landscape
assistant at the Hermanus Golf Course. He is thoroughly enjoying his
role as water-wise gardener and we have seen him practicing his swing
- so watch out Tiger Woods! |
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