Every year The Adventure Company together with Sunway Safaris plan a weekend for 20 underprivileged teenagers from the Ennerdale SOS Children’s to Pilanesberg National Park to give them the opportunity to see and learn about South African Wildlife and also the different career possibilities in the tourism industry. The children were accompanied by 3 caretakers and 4 Sunway guides (Albert, Dirk, Maxwell and Larissa).
SOS Ennerdale Group with the Sunway Truck
We had the chance to meet the Restaurant Manager of the Bakgatla and 2 rangers who took their time to explain to us, how they got into their positions and what each position entails. The teenagers asked many questions starting from the studies they would need to complete to get into the different positions and the biggest challenges in the different jobs to the wildlife in Pilanesberg.
On day 2 in Pilanesberg National Park and we left for an early morning game drive. Once everyone was awake and ready to go, we entered the game drive area and they were looking intensely for animals. A little later we already saw 3 rhinos with 2 young babies, near the rhino’s several black-backed jackals were playing in the grass. The children got really exited about these sightings especially when we stopped at a picnic site and asked them to go out of the truck and sit down to observe a waterhole. At first the landscape seemed to be baron, without any wildlife, when we discovered a hippo coming out of the mud very close to us. The children couldn’t believe their eyes and started to ask lots of questions, about why the hippo is making itself so dirty and if it really will manage to come out of the mud completely because it looked very slippery.
After this exciting moment 27 happy and hungry people went back to our campsite for a big brunch and to talk again about the great morning we had just had.
A great weekend was had by all, knowledge was shared and fun times experienced. The children appreciated the opportunity to learn about the different career options in the tourism industry and to learn more about wildlife and South Africa in the process.
The teenagers and caretakers really appreciated this weekend and want to send a big THANK YOU for this exceptional opportunity to The Adventure Company.
