1. Preparation Session - Uxolo Malube Nani

Last Saturday the series of preparation workshops started for the SA Team. All canditates (including the back up team) met at Cape Windjammers offices in the morning. They got a short introduction in blog writing and as from now it will be their task to continue this blog reporting about the activities during the preparation sessions as well as when sailing aboard the Europa. Below find the first entry. Check it out and see how writing skills are improving.

Today we got to know a bit more about each others background. We discussed the differnet places where we live and what the history of these places is. We also did our planning for fundraising and we discussed how we are going to approach the people who will sponsor us and what we going to do in return for them. We got to know about the 8 different countries sailing with us, what their capitals are and what languages they speak. We got the chance to meet Mr. Ulf Kaschl (biology teacher) who is a visitor from Germany and is going to be with us for a couple of weeks and he gave us as homework to read a paper on the Cape's Marine Ecology.
"Uxolo Malube Nani" - (Peace be with you)

Belinda and Thandikhaya, 26.05.2007

Preparation Weekend for the 8 European Countries in Amsterdam

Not only the South African Team gets ready for the Cultural Exchange Program aboard the Dutch Barque Europa. Also the other teams of the 8 European countries - Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden and UK - get ready for this exciting sail-training voyage in the Baltic Sea.

Last weekend (11th - 13th May) the representatives of the European countries met in Amsterdam to start their preparation. They had a tough program during these three days: Amongst others they played introduction games to get to know each other, they had an introduction into public realations by Gert Tetteroo, a journalist and they also got a presentation of trainees, who have sailed on the Barque Europa before. Furthermore all groups made a list of the preparations to be done per person and country.

5. Selection Workshop - Final Interview and Announcement of Team SA

Yesterday was the big day. After 6 weeks of assessment the 10 candidates had a final chance to prove themselves in a final interview as a worthy member of the team SA. What a difficult choice to make as all 10 candidates impressed us with their enthusiasm and commitment for this project! And what a spark in the air when the announcemnt was made. We have now a team of 4 with one reserve, and a back up team. All ten will now go through a preparation process with the back up team supporting the Team SA in all their efforts to proudly represent South Africa during the international youth exchange. The first project is fundraising to cover some of the remaining costs - watch this space!

The South Africa Team with the team of
Sail Training International South African Initiative

From left: Patrick Fraser (Chairman of the Sail Training International South African Initiative), Dennis Stevenson (President of Cape Windjammers Education Trust), Theo Braaf (Team SA), Daphné Jacobs (Team SA), Belinda Mabilwana (Team SA), Sarah-Leigh Enticott (SA reserve team member), Sakhekile Qoyi (Team SA), Antje Nahnsen (Program co-ordinator of Cape Windjammers Education Trust), Matthew Mentz (Managing Director of Izivunguvungu-MSC Foundation for youth), Anja Steting (Volunteer communication-program of Cape Windjammers Education Trust), Alexander Allavena (Volunteer-Program co-ordinator of Cape Windjammers Education Trust)

4. Selection Workshop - Amazing Race

The 4th selection workshop took place on 1 May 2007 in Cape Town. This time we organized an Amazing Race assessing their knowledge about Cape Town, their sense of orientation, creativity and team work. The candidates were split in different teams and had to find their way through Cape Town to solve different tasks. Back at the office their solutions were discussed while having a delicious cake prepared by Anja, one of Cape Windjammers current volunteers.

3. Selection Workshop - Visit of Dutch Barque Europa

The third selection workshop took place on 27 April 2007. In the morning the youth came to the Cape Windjammers Office in Woodstock to present their homework - a short speech about their ambitions to participate in the Tall Ships' Race 2007 aboard the De Europa. All of them did it well and had much improved from the previous. Some serious work had gone into this. Furthermore they discussed a typical African dish, which they will have to prepare for the whole crew during the race. The shortlisted candidates voted for:

1. Braai, 2. Babootie and 3. Potjie Koos. What do you think? Post your vote!

In the afternoon the candidates went to the Barque De Europa, wich spent a week in Cape Town for maintenance work before sailing on to the Netherlands. Despite a very tight schedule Captain Klaas Gaastra and his crew made it possible for the youth to explore the ship some of them will be sailing on - now the excitement its even greater.

We had planned a big reception aboard the De Europa for all interested people. However the maintenance work and the bad weather crossed our plans and only a few people could come. One of them was Admiral Koos Louw, who has promised to convince his wife to teach the South African team to cook a proper Babootie. This will be fun!

Click here to follow the De Europa on her way back to the Netherlands.

2. Selection Workshop - Sailing

The second selection workshop took place on 24 March 2007 in Simon's Town at Izivunguvungu Sailing School. This time the youth got an introduction in sailing aboard the Voortrekker, probably South Africa's most well-known racing yacht next to Shosholoza.

1. Selection Workshop - First-Aid and CPR

The first selection workshop took place on 17 April 2007 in Simon's Town at Izivunguvungu Sailing School. The youth received an introduction in first-aid and CPR by Waterwise Education Programme of NSRI. Furthermore all candiates had to give a two minute free speech in front of a video-camera - quite a difficult task since it came as a surprise. Hence the homework for the third session was to prepare a 2 minute speech about their ambitions to go to the Tall Ships' Race.

Selection Process

Sail Training International tasked Cape Windjammers and Izivunguvungu to select and prepare a team of four youth representing South Africa's social and cultural diversity. In a first step we invited 25 youth from six different organizations to apply. After a short interview and the assessment of an essay written by the youth we short listed 10 candidates at the end of March 2007. The selection of the final four is based on five selection workshops in April and May, in which the candidates have to demonstrate:

• seawiseness and ability to perform under tough conditions
• articulateness-ability to express themselves both in written and spoken word
• team work, interaction with others, being a proud South African team member
• commitment, responsibility, self initiative
  

The 10 shortlisted candidates:

Sarah-Leigh Enticott (21, Western Cape Sea Scouts), Marlon Jones (18, Izivunguvungu Sailing School), Daphné Jacobs (17, Izivunguvungu Sailing School), Sakhekile Qoyi (17, Trinity International Project), Belinda Mabilwana (20, South African Youth Ministers Program), Thandikhaya Ncosani (25, South African Youth Ministers Program), Valentino Scholtz (16, Christel House South Africa), Nonkanyiso Maki (16, False Bay College Boat Building Academy), Theo Braaf (18, False Bay College Boat Building Academy), Kelvin Jollifee (19, False Bay College Boat Building Academy)

Sail Training International sponsors South Africa

Thanks to an initiative from Sail Training International as well as considerable funding, four young South Africans have been invited to participate in the Tall Ships' Races (Baltic) 2007. This is one of a series of projects originated by STI to accelerate the growth of Sail Training for young people in parts of the world where the activity is in its infancy. The four young South Africans will join young people from eight European countries in the Cultural Exchange programme on boarrd the barque Europa, organised by AT Sea Sail Taining with support from the European Union. This July they will be sailing from Kotka (Finland) to Stockholm (Sweden) and further to Szczecin (Poland).

Complementary sponsorship for this is needed.
If you want to support this project please contact: pfraser@iafrica.com