Sizwe Twalo and Mogamat Davids have good reason to smile after FEDHASA Cape awarded them bursaries, respectively valued at R2 000 and R6 000. These were presented during the Bells / FEDHASA 12th Annual Golf Day, held at Somerset West's Erinvale Golf Estate outside Cape Town on Wednesday 1 April. As the latest beneficiaries of the FEDHASA Cape Development Fund for Underprivileged Entrants into the Hospitality Industry, 18-year-old Twalo and 28-year-old Davids have the following to say:

• "I am very grateful for this, as my first ever bursary. It will help me a lot to further my studies.  The   bursary also helped my mom as, as a single mother, she is no longer stressing to pay my fees as she fairly recently began a township B & B at Mandalay - and now in a year or two I could well be living out my dreams working on a cruise liner," says Twalo, who is using the bursary towards his NCV (National Vocational Certificate) in Hospitality. He is currently registered for Level 3 i.e. 2nd Year at False Bay College (Good Hope Campus). Twalo is finishing his practical studies this year and is currently working at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. A hard working student and eager listener, he can work well in a team. His passion is to become a chef and one day work on a cruise liner.
  
  
• Davids is using his bursary towards Level 4 (i.e. First Year) in Professional Cookery at False Bay College and says, "The bursary has really been life changing - I was actually going to drop out of my course as I couldn't afford my fees - and now I will give back as FEDHASA Cape has helped me out. If I had been forced to drop out, my job in tourism would not have been a reality as I would have taken on any job purely for the money, such as call centre work." Davids, a hard working and reliable person who loves working with people, also works in the evenings at IPS as a data capturer to help pay for his studies. He is passionate about cooking, especially Cape Malay cooking.

Explaining the background to the awarding of these bursaries, FEDHASA Cape Chairperson Phillip Couvaras comments: "From the proceeds at our annual golf day in 2008, it was decided to give a total R8 000 to two deserving, underprivileged students in the hospitality industry. We had received 11 applications from the NCV & chefs training courses and FEDHASA Cape Board member Carolyn Neville - a tourism training consultant - and FEDHASA Cape Executive Officer Rema van Niekerk conducted interviews with these applicants."

Says Neville: "Both bursary recipients have survived against the odds within their family's tough economic conditions. It was such a tough choice to make, given that there are so many keen young people out there who are just looking for a break. As opposed to purely giving money away, we want to have a relationship with these young people, to be involved in their growth and development, such that they stay in touch with us and are accountable in some way too. It is tremendously exciting to be involved in such initiatives that make a positive difference to an individual's career path."

As for the Bells / FEDHASA 12th Annual Golf Day itself, there was a full field of 120 players participating on the day, as well as various 10-hole sponsors. The battle of the sexes played out well and truly, with the maximum official handicap for men set at 24 and for women at 30. Players comprised for the most part members of FEDHASA Cape, including key decision-makers from hotels, guest houses, B& B's restaurants, caterers and suppliers to the tourism industry. Those organizations who participated in a game of golf, these included City Lodge, Southern Sun, Wimpy, Protea Hotels, Ciro Beverages, Cape Town International Convention Centre, International Hotel School, Schneider Electrical, Cape Grace Hotel, HTL Consulting, Metropolitan Employee benefits, Kennings Car Hire, Peninsula Hotel, and Village & Life, to name but some.

BrandHouse, representing loyal golf day sponsor Bell's - with the presence of "Mr Bells" himself - Alan Shurman - added further prestige to the event.

Hole sponsors were: Metropolitan Employee Benefits; Protea Hotel Stellenbosch; Windhoek Lager; Wimpy; Protea Hotels; Schneider Electrical; Bells. Bells also sponsored the Clubhouse, while the Cape Town International Convention Centre sponsored the Halfway House, with International Hotel School sponsoring the Putting Green. The Welcome Table was sponsored by Ciro Beverage Solutions, while Sesfikile Wines (sponsored by TECSA) sponsored the wines.

Interviews for the 2009/10 bursaries will be held later this year and will be announced at the 2010 annual golf day.

Visit www.fedhasa.co.za or contact their offices on (021) 552 9870 or on e-mail fedhasacape@fedhasa.co.za.