Published January 21, 2012 13:38
The Lion Roars team is celebrating with Thembelani Gunya as he starts his new job as Commis Chef at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town. A graduate of the Umzi Wethu Programme, Thembelani joined the Lion Roars team in 2008 as part of our ongoing placement partnership with Umzi.
After two years working with the 5-star team of chefs at Lion Roars Hlosi and Bukela Game Lodges, Thembelani's work ethic and considerable talent won him a scholarship to the world-famous SA Chefs Academy in Cape Town. We were sad to see him go, but it was hard not to be excited, too, about the great and well-deserved opportunity he had in front of him.
In December 2011, Thembelani graduated from SA Chefs Academy and is now a fully qualified chef. This is a remarkable achievement not only on the academic front, but also in his personal journey. At the same time as he had to get to grips with a demanding academic and practical study programme, he also had to face the tough personal challenges of being in a new city, far from home with no support network. The scholarship may have been a great opportunity, but it took enormous courage and determination to make it through.
We've just heard from Umzi Wethu that Thembelani has also landed a plum job as Commis Chef at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town. Again, this is a richly deserved achievement, and we're cheering him all the way as he starts this new chapter. We are so impressed with Thembelani's achievements and the whole team salutes him. Here's to you, Thembelani!
Hats off, too, to the inspired team at Umzi Wethu Academy who made all of this happen. A not-for-profit social intervention programme, Umzi is an offshoot of the the well-known Wilderness Foundation, and we're proud to be associated with the great work done by this team.
