SOUTH AFRICA - Travel with a purpose for Foundation volunteers
2023-03-28
Getting to know our projects
After a three-year interruption due to the pandemic, two groups of dedicated employees from Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy were able to travel to South Africa in March 2023.
Their goal was to get to know projects supported by the Umckaloabo Foundation, gain perspectives into its work, and understand the contexts involved. The groups went on different itineraries and saw the Ekuphumleni Secondary School, Jabulani Day Care Centre, the Scouts in Mpumalanga and many other destinations.
Experiencing real life
It is not just a turn of phrase: there is so much to see there. The diversity of the countryside, the openheartedness of the people, the crushing poverty and the highly motivated project partners whose dedication opens up new opportunities, the challenges our partners are routinely confronted with, everything they have been able to achieve despite these problems – and the work we still have ahead of us. All of these things became apparent in new ways every day, and at times they made the trip difficult, but ultimately every one of us had a profoundly moving and edifying experience.
Making encounters possible
There is one thing that is made possible by these trips that volunteers take, and that is encountering people: getting to know each other and diving into someone else’s reality. Each encounter leaves the travelers with impressions they take home with them. These are meaningful contributions to the work of the Umckaloabo Foundation because they further anchor the knowledge and awareness of the projects we pursue – not just among other interested parties, but among Schwabe Group employees as well.
Staying in touch
Every trip of this kind creates a way for people to stay in touch after they are back at home and to welcome South African guests here, whether it be Scouts, project partners or teachers. Maintaining these connections is a great priority of ours, because it means that in the future, we can still continue to MAKE MORE POSSIBLE TOGETHER.
