New group of trainee guides The San Culture & Education Centre

!Khwa ttu welcomes a new group of trainee guides

Despite the cold and stormy weather that greeted the new trainee guides upon their arrival at !Khwa ttu in early November 2009, they took an immediate liking to the place. They were also pleasantly surprised about the diversity of the !Khwa ttu training programme. Their excitement grew even further when they realized that at the end of the nine-month training course they will be part of the !Khwa ttu team welcoming the numerous visitors expected during the FIFA World Cup. 

The group of ten young San – five women and five men – left their home communities in western Botswana, the Caprivi in Namibia, the Northern Cape and southern Kalahari in South Africa, to join the !Khwa ttu team, who received them with open arms. The training programme began a day after their arrival and so far has covered bi-weekly morning sessions in San issues, English, geography and life skills; weekly morning sessions in botany; lessons once a week in German conversation; workshops on customer service and also on basic computer skills and an introduction to guiding. Within a few days the weekly training in cooking and nutrition will commence at the !Khwa ttu kitchen.

During their first session in life skills the trainees did not only work out ground rules focussing on organizational matters but also put emphasis on social and environmental issues. They then developed an ambitious goal that states: “At the end of the !Khwa ttu training programme we all want to be professional guides who speak English well, think critically, and are self-confident!” To reach this goal might be easier for some than for others as their styles of learning, level of participation and skills differ considerably.

At the moment the trainees are still figuring out which of the training components corresponds well with their interests and abilities. They also have not yet determined in which of !Khwa ttu’s departments they would like to enjoy on-the-job training. However, all of them have already experienced what skills the gate duty and receptions service call for. They have also observed the variety of qualities professional guides need when they accompanied them on tours on weekends.

The first one and a half months of the !Khwa ttu training programme introduced the trainees to many new topics. Those, who were never taught geography at school, are keen to learn about other countries and their people. Some have begun to enthusiastically read newspaper articles on social and sport issues. Others have for the first time borrowed books on San from the library. For some the programme meant an initial introduction to diverse matters such as the use of computers and the impact of carbon footprints.

All trainees have certainly enjoyed the screening of an interactive film on HIV, role plays involving tourists and guides, quizzes, debates and games. Sonia Nthoto summarised her impression in this way: “I enjoy the way you [trainers] teach us. You always tell us not to be afraid of anything. You have taught us many new things and you are very open to us. The role plays are fun and they prepare us for the real thing [tour]. I like most to read the articles [press clippings] and through them learn so many new English words. I think in three months I will be very good in English.”