People and rubber bands have one thing in common: they must be stretched to be effective. – John Maxwell

On arrival the girls were all somewhat hesitant of what they could expect and a little afraid of the unknown. However, they had a very positive attitude and many of them liked the idea of keeping the campfire going throughout the night. Many of them had not camped before and were somewhat nervous of sleeping in the outdoors. But, they were willing to try new things and adapted well.

This type of experience was something totally foreign to these students. However, they all made new friends, faced and overcame many fears and survived living in the outdoors – much to their surprise!

The participants were a group of students from the Othandweni Street Shelter in Hillbrow. They have been living on the streets but have recently been absorbed into the shelter where they receive two meals a day, accommodation and training in some form of skills development. Once they have completed their training, Othandweni helps them with an exit plan which includes finding employment, alternative accommodation and standing on their own feet, sometimes even going back to their communities.

My name is Dani Walters and I spontaneously decided to intern in South Africa for three months of my summer. I currently study English and History at Birmingham University in the UK, however, my passion lies in events management and marketing. I have fallen in love with the country very quickly. What a beautiful place to get some work and life experience!

Moving On

An article posted in the Big Issue about Luyanda Mkapeni, a successful participant in Outward Bound’s training program.

Expressing talent with espresso and a little education

In February the Outward Bound Trust of South Africa and the Pick n Pay Foundation launched a skills training initiative in partnership with Origin Coffee Roasting.

An Outward Experience: Outward Bound Internship, January – June 2009
After having spent 6 months at Outward Bound South Africa in, I think it’s fair to say that I’m ready to go home. However, my experiences in Cape Town have been enjoyable, interesting, useful, and above all, memorable. I expect that what I have learned will serve me well as I look to build a career in the non-profit sector.