Two new team members at Umzi Wethu

The Umzi Wethu project has welcomed two new team members this month. Heinrich Terblanche has taken up a position as the new Wellness Coordinator, and Anele Siswana will be assisting Heinrich as the newest intern registered counsellor. Both are looking forward to the Umzi Wethu experience and the challenges that lie ahead.

Heinrich Terblanche and Anele Siswana

Umzi Wethu is a one year, social development and intervention programme for displaced and socially vulnerable youth (those who have lost one or both parents, are child headed households or live in households with no formal income). It is headed up by the Wilderness Foundation, and every year approximately 40 young men and women between the ages of 18 and 25 are selected to join the programme.
Heinrich is no stranger to the Umzi Wethu project as he was involved in some of the very first wilderness trails conducted by the project. “That was way back in 2007 with the second Umzi intake,” says Heinrich. Since then, he has had valuable experience in a number of other social intervention projects. “I have been involved with drug and alcohol rehab centres across the country. Most recently I worked for an association for persons with disabilities,” says Heinrich. However, when the Umzi Wethu job opened up, he knew it was an opportunity that he couldn’t pass up.
Passionate about the wilderness, hiking and spending time with youth, Heinrich feels that his own past can help him relate to the Umzi Wethu students. “All of the students are categorised as vulnerable youth, and coming from a difficult background myself, I feel like I can really relate to their situations and help them through it,” says Heinrich.
He will be heading up the counselling at both the Port Elizabeth based Umzi Wethu catering unit, as well as the Somerset East based game ranging unit. Heinrich will also be putting together workshops and overseeing the Wilderness Foundation’s latest community development project, Siyasebenza.
“I’m definitely going to be very busy! But I’m looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead. After just a week at Umzi, I already love this job, and feel like it’s a place I’m meant to be.”
Assisting Heinrich will be Anele Siswana, an intern registered counsellor from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). In his fourth year of tertiary training, Anele will be working out his 720 hours at the Umzi Wethu academies. “My role is to provide short term based counselling to both the Somerset East and Port Elizabeth Umzi Wethu students,” says Anele. “I’m excited to help the students develop into their full potential.”
Although Anele has never experienced a wilderness trail, he is keen to try out all new experiences. “I’m here to grow professionally and develop as a person, so I’m very open to exploring new things,” says Anele.
Anele selected the Umzi Wethu project for his internship because he thought it would provide him with the most challenges and opportunities for growth as well as a way to impact on the lives of the Umzi students.
After a week at the Port Elizabeth academy, both Anele and Heinrich are settling in to the Umzi project and are looking forward to the year ahead.
Welcome to both of them!