Debrief of Holiday at Sonela

Debrief and Report writing

Topic

Break down into components

Analyse every component

· Theoretical training

· Strong points :Learned so much new information to give over to the guests and haves so much more knowledge about Sondela and the bush.

· Challenges: there was too much information to get in, and in such a short time.

· What did I learn? Learned to do my work when it is given to me then I do not fall behind.

· How can we improve? We must get a longer period to learn the work, I would like to do more practical next time.

· Roster

· Strong points : This really helps with keeping the work order in place and helps every one share equal work

· Challenges: We can give out the roster to the managers, so that they know where we work every day on the holidays.

· What did I learn? That we need to have an orderly way to split up the wok

· How can we improve? We can discuss the roster every morning before work

· Welcoming

· Strong points: We learn so quickly to speak with guests and feel more comfterbal.

· Challenges : Struggling to give all the information to the guests

· What did I learn? : That we need to help each other and work in a team.

· How can we improve? : The last hour of welcoming is really not necessary because the people don’t come in that lat and they are not in the mood to be welcomed, the student just stand there....

· Conservation

· Strong points: we all lend a helping hand to make Sondela’s bush beautiful.

· Challenges : We need to do more in the time that we have conservation

· What did I learn? : If we work together we can get more done and faster

· How can we improve? : there are not enough tools for everyone to use

· Wildlife centre

· Strong points : Love to work with the animals and I work really good with the other people working there.

· Challenges : Let the students work more with the big animals and let them get a chance to do some tours

· What did I learn? : We must work very fast because we work on certain feeding times . I also learned to mix various foods for the animals.

· How can we improve? : We can lat the guests feed the lions if they pay.

· Guiding

· Strong points: I am so much more comfterbal with the guests after the holidays. Before that I could not even go on a Tractor Game drive alone.

· Challenges: we must get all the students with a license to drive on Game drives because we have to little drivers.

· What did I learn? : We need to have enough students to do it when needed

· How can we improve? Get more radios for the students to know when there is a Game drive.

· Student on duty

· Strong points: Students do need a person to take the lead in a situation and this really helped.

· Challenges: The student has to have a radio with him to know what’s going on , on the farm at all times .

· What did I learn? : Next time the stunt cannot just sit at the academy, but must be involved in something.

· How can we improve? : Student must find out what is happening on the farm the day before his duty.

· Afterhours activity

· Strong points : The night drives always went good and there were no problems. The Bring and Braai were a success.

· Challenges : Student must divide the work afterhours equally so that every one gets the same amount of work.

· What did I learn? : You have to offer up some of your spare and off time to work late

· How can we improve? : try to give the students off sooner afterhours, sometimes it can ger really long!

Academy Duty

· Strong points : it helps with keeping things in order and gives students a chance to do some work in the class.

· Challenges : Students did not always find out if the Academy is open the next day.

· What did I learn? : How to be in charge of an Academy.

· How can we improve? : students must find out if the Acadeny is open the nxt day.

· SOCIAL

· Strong points : Bring and Braai is always a success and we make all the profit back.

· Challenges : Let the students know before something is on.

· What did I learn? : That social is a good thing to promote Sondela

· How can we improve? : Pay the students for working afterhours!!

Meet the Managment

Meet the Managment

This was a project given to the first year students. We had about 3 weeks to organize this event and to do all the planning. We were quite stressed out because all the important people were there... It didn't take us very long to have every thing ready because we are just so very good at it!!


The venue was at the boys house and we made a lovely setting in the garden near the fire place. we decorated the table with vines and candles, there was even a Kudu skull involved in the "setting"... The arriving guests were welcomed at the entrance and just socialized for a bit. The hotel students prepared a lovely dinner for every one, it was delicious!!! After a amazing meal there was a slide show of every student and a little info, then we had prepared a little entertaining show for our guests... We sang a song and then went crazy on the dance floor, our guests had a good laugh!! This evening was a great success and we had a lot of compliments, just go's to show what can be accomplished when we work together!!!

Tambuki camp!!

Tambuki Camp!!

WOW!!! This was a very very very fun camp, but not only that, I probably learn the most knowledge on those 3 days than my hole stay on the farm!! we went for bush expeditions every day and around every corner and every tree we found something interesting that Cobus taught us, for example we saw the excretion of a brown hyena on some grass, they place these scent markings all over their territory and it is also to attract females for mating. During the day we explored the bush, oom Diderik also visited us and taught us some trees names. At night we just "chilled" around the fire making some food and talking about the days happenings. We all did our assessments on some bush knowledge and passed as competent

This camp had me really testing my teamwork skills, every thing we did had to do with working together. In the mornings we made turns making breakfast and washing dishes, we almost had a fight because some people didn't want to do their share of work... In the end we really enjoyed the camp and we want to do it again!!