This time last year, CWBR welcomed the 2019 class students from Lycée Athénée de Luxembourg for the schools fourth annual trip to the Western Cape, South Africa. The purpose, a cultural exchange and to part-take in the educational projects in the Winelands that the schools NGO, Athénée Action Humanitaire (AAH), funds in partnership with Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve.

Two weeks packed with activities, landscapes, and meeting people from all backgrounds to enrich not only the Luxies experience but the locals as well. A sharing of life experiences, exchange of knowledge, laughs, and culture.

The trip gives opportunity for the Luxembourg students, who have studied South African history, fauna and flora, ecology, and culture for a year, a chance to experience what they have learned first-hand.

It is also an opportunity for the students and teachers to see the projects and meet the people who have changed their own lives through the opportunities given by the AAH Edulink project. Seeing the effect of the collaboration first-hand.

Though the trip could not take place this year, due to the situation the world finds itself in because of COVID-19, here are some of the memorable moments captured by the students and teachers while travelling through the Western Cape in 2019, to be enjoyed from your couch at home.  

When asked to describe South Africa in one word.

Amazing. Beautiful. Breath-taking. Crazy. Complicated. Diverse. Enriching. Extraordinary. Fun. Impressive. Overwhelming. The different landscapes.

A day at Care Career Connection

Kitchen Workshop

Horticultural Garden

Artisan Workshop

Education through Project Engagement

FGASA & Life Skills students

The Data Collection Project

Adventure

Pontoon moved by hand

Ancient Landscapes

Kayaking

Zip-lining

Experience Different Landscapes

Franschhoek Valley

Table Mountain Cape Town

Vast Landscapes Garden Route

Biodiversity and Knowledge about Conservation

King Protea

Alien & Indigenous Vegetation

Protea

Cultural Exchange

Tour of Mandela’s House

Four individuals who had a big impact on history

Cultural Exchange Point of Human Origin

Animals and Conservation Efforts

Lion

Lioness

Zebra

South African Penguin

The setting sun over Cape Town seen from the airplane window on the way back to Europe

Two volunteers from a University in the Netherlands joined the CWBR a couple of years ago, for an internship. Dirk and Elina studied Environmental Science for Sustainable Energy and Technology, and contributed to several projects at the CWBR.

They have now graduated, and we want to congratulate them both for their great success!

Elina: “Our course prepared us to find solutions for different sectors to become more sustainable. The aim of each project is to find financially feasible solutions, considering future developments, techniques, and local policies. The course qualified us as environmental engineers, who could for example work in an environmental consultancy, as an Environment, Health and Safety advisor, or as a government policy developer.

My project at CWBR was to design and analyse a circular wastewater purification system (Aquatron) that could be used under the effects of South African climate conditions. The installations were mainly focused on squatter camps and townships, where hygiene and safety are big issues. As awesome and innovative, as the team at CWBR is, we also built a house to mimic these squatter camp living conditions to give visitors a more concrete idea of the research.

I have now moved back to my origins, and I am currently looking for my first job in an environmental field. Issues like global warming and biodiversity loss interest me. I have focused my studies on solutions such as carbon neutrality for different entities and circular economy’s, which I would like to continue working with. 

As far as I am concerned, our planet is craving problem-solvers, and I am more motivated than ever to act upon it. I also hope that our cooperation with CWBR will continue, and together we can work towards our common goal.”

Dirk: -“I am still deciding what career path to take. During my graduation project the hands-on experience I gained in SA helped me quite a bit. For my final University project, I designed, built, and tested a physical model where the effects of ecosystems on a dyke breach can be tested. I very much enjoy field work.

During my time in South Africa, I spent a lot of time in the workshop, building an evaporation, solar power fridge. This sparked something in me and made me realize I enjoy working with my hands. “

A few moments looking back at Elina’s project, the centrifugal toilet, and her time with CWBR

A few moments looking back at Dirk’s time with CWBR and his project: a coal fridge which became a weather station at Jan Marais Park Eco Centre

In April, students, teachers, and the director of Athénéé de Luxembourg visited Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve for two weeks.

In Luxembourg, the students attend an Edu-Link course run by the school, in conjunction with their NGO Athénéé Action Humanitaire who fund many of the diverse educational projects of Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve. The group visited the projects supported by their NGO and had several hands-on experiences of the educational outings and activities that they fund.

The program, packed with cultural immersion, projects, and volunteering, kept them very busy.     

Among some of the activities, to have a first-hand experience of the impact of their projects, the group covered 4 out of 12 km, a partial TPA* Bronze hike, along the fauna and flora rich Vista Trail in Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve in Franschhoek. They were led by one of our guides who take youth on environmental educational hikes, outings, and involved in many of the Biosphere’s projects. The hike allowed them to see the vast contrast in environment that the youth who go on the TPA hikes experience and live in. Two of the students and a teacher, familiar with the European run Award Program in Luxembourg, knew the hard work and dedication that goes into completing The President’s Award Program and the positive impact that it has on its participants.

Other activities involved, a visit to the Bonnie People’s Project, the Breede Centre, and a very special tour of Mandela’s House at Drakenstein Correctional Facility – an outing the youth of Care Career Connections have experienced yearly. 

The group saw the rich biodiversity - the change in landscape throughout the Western Cape. From the vast open space of the Klein Karoo around Oudtshoorn to the West Coast National Park. Also De Hoop Nature Reserve on the Indian Ocean where they met and spent the day with guides who have completed the Field Guide Association of South Africa program, another project funded by Athénéé Action Humanitaire. The program reaches out to passionate youth who never have had the opportunity to travel beyond their immediate environment. The course gives them the tools and opportunity to start an independent life.

As part of the historical and cultural interactions they travelled to and discovered The Point of Human Origin at Mossel Bay, learned about stalagmites and stalactites at Cango Caves, toured !Khwa Ttu Khoi San Village, Fossil Park, and spent two days in Cape Town visiting District Six and Table Mountain among other things. 

There were several up close and personal moments witnessed, not just through the binoculars, of the big five! 

To end the trip, a ceremony was held to celebrate the two-year partnership in building an ECD school for pre pre-school children. During the Luxies stay, the group painted bookshelves to go into the classroom upon the opening of the school. The event also marked the ten-year anniversary of the NGO Athénéé Action Humanitaire.

Please follow link to view the Athénéé de Luxembourg article -

https://www.wort.lu/de/mywort/merl/news/das-athenee-unterstuetzt-weiteres-schulprojekt-in-township-in-suedafrika-5ad47990c1097cee25b877d0

Capturing the beautiful details of the Western Cape

At Garden Route Game Reserve

Bungy jumping at Bloukrans bridge!

District Six Museum

Visiting Bonnie Vale Peoples Project

Luxies adding their touch to the Western Cape Biosphere map