Update July 2022
A great trip as a reward
That it’s well worth while to go the extra mile was experienced by the four NUST students who qualified for and participated in B360's Virtual Internships pilot project in 2021. The Staub Kaiser Foundation, which financially supports the program, offers a 2-week trip to Switzerland to participants of the 13-week Virtual Internship, as an award for outstanding performance. Rochelle Cornelius, Mayavero Kashe, Elizabeth Zola Iita and Christine Scheepers achieved this goal with flying colors!
"The four interns were very committed and motivated and also came together as a team. They overcame conflict situations and never lost sight of the common goal of delivering an outstanding performance and receiving the Special Award as a team.“ (Sabina Balmer, President B360)
On June 17, the B360 team and the 'virtual' host families could finally welcome their guests in person at Zurich airport. The weekend ‘en famille’ followed, during which there was certainly a lot to talk about!
June 20 was dedicated to the visit to B360 headquarters in Zug.
On June 21, the Rigi, 'Queen of the mountains', was the destination of the excursion to which Markus Huebscher and Rita Becker (both mentors of the interns and members of the B360 board) had invited the four guests. The fresh mountain air and the legendary panoramic view were the ideal environment for them to practice for the presentation on the following day.
June 22: the B360 annual event at Schloss Sihlberg in Zurich - a highlight of the trip. The audience followed the presentations of the former interns with great interest. Especially the personal experiences and challenges, as a team in Namibia, with mentors and the virtual host families were very interesting to hear about. It was not surprising that the four Namibians immediately won the hearts of the audience!
June 23-25: Well equipped for the big tour, Rudolf Schmitt (member of the B360 board and long-time voluntary B360 expert) and his four guests took the train to Valais. Zermatt with a trip up to Klein Matterhorn was on the agenda for the next day. Neither the fog, rain or cold could dampen the young Africans' joy in the snow. In bright sunshine and accompanied by Esther and Rudolf Schmitt, the trip continued to Chamonix with a view of Mont Blanc and via Lausanne back to Zurich.
June 27-28: Explore Switzerland - the four guests set out to discover Bern and Geneva on their own.
After another day with the host family, it was time to say goodbye on Thursday, June 30. With many souvenirs, countless photos, memories, and new experiences, Christine, Elizabeth, Mayavero, and Rochelle flew back home, to their families, and to their Namibian lives.
We are all sure that the four of them will talk about this trip for a long time and that the cultural exchange between North and South will have a lasting effect. Many thanks to the Staub Kaiser Foundation for making this trip possible. Thanks also to the host families, mentors and everyone who contributed to the success.
"This trip opened our eyes to the fact that there is more to the world than just Namibia. It also showed me that you have to grab opportunities with both hands and give it your all, because hard work pays off in the end." (Elizabeth Zola Iita, B360 Virtual Intern 2021).
More info and reports from the four interns can be found here.