Each morning the students are collected from their homes – some in Masakhane near Gansbaai and others from Stanford. Wearing their Green Futures overalls and bright red caps the students are driven up to their classroom, which is a beautiful stone-clad building surrounded by milkwood trees with far reaching views over Walker Bay. The morning lessons usually start with practical life skills where students are helped through various subjects such as their learners and drivers licence test, basic banking and budgeting, business skills and health issues. Each day the college provides students with a hearty breakfast and then it’s on with the theory sessions until lunch. Our curriculum is multidisciplinary, focussing on environmental and conservation issues as well as horticulture and landscaping techniques. Each week students learn a new group of indigenous plants, their growth requirements and how to use them in a garden. We explore all aspects of growing and caring for fynbos plants and their use in garden layout and design. We don’t focus only on fynbos but also provide students with useful knowledge in growing and caring for vegetables and fruit trees and care and maintenance of a variety of machinery and equipment.
After a hearty lunch prepared by the Grootbos kitchen the students head outside to put their newly acquired knowledge to practical use. We collect seeds and cuttings in the nature reserve and propagate our own plants in the college’s green house. We learn about feeding, watering and pruning of nursery plants, design and lay out of fynbos gardens, rock wall and path construction, building water features, caring for lawns, vegetable gardens and much, much more. The practical sessions are generally held in the school's nursery and in the Grootbos gardens, however we also choose a variety of commercial landscaping projects each year to provide the students with working experience in different environments. Regular visits to botanical gardens, nature reserves and other places of interest add an extra element of fun and learning to the Green Futures program.
My name is Akhona Mbizeni and I am 22 years old. I was born in King William's town on the 10th of October 1990. I went to Qhayiya Senior Secondary School and passed Grade 12. I came to Masakhane in 2003. My goal at Green Futures is to pass my first year with better marks and I am looking forward to further my studies in the second year guide studies. I would love to work at the Grootbos Nature Reserve and be known as one of the top guides in the world! That would be a dream come true!
My name is Khamyisa Dyesi. I am 24 years old and was born in Bisho on the 27th of October, 1987. I attended ZK Mathews Senior Secondary School and I passed Grade 11. I came to Masakhane in 2010. I am married and have one child.
My name is Luthando Folitshi and I am 21 years old. I was born in Ngqeleni on the 20th of January, 1991. I attended Pangalele Senior Secondary school and passed Grade 12. I came to Gansbaai in 2011. I would like to know everything at Green Futures and how to plant trees. I will try to work hard in my learnings. Once I am finished, I would like to get a better job, sot that I can get more experience. Plants make the world beautiful.
My name is Luyanda Siyotywa. I am 21 years old. I was born in Ntlaza, Eastern Cape. I attended Siyohwazi Senior Secondary School and passed Grade 10. I came to Gansbaai in 2001. I want to get fully informed and know well about nature. I need to know how they live and give to treat them. I wish to be successful one day. My dream is to get a nice job with good qualifications and wonderful things for my family. Its like a dream come true.
My name is Mthobeli David Tukushe and I am 19 years old. I was born in Secunda on the 20th of February 1992. I attended Mtirara Senior Secondary School and passed Grade 10. I came to Masakhane in June 2011. My goal is to pass the first year course because I am looking forward to the second year. I've noticed at school that I never learn learnt about tourism so I think this is it. The ball is in my field. I want to be a guide or to be one of the employees at Grootbos.
My name is Phumeza Sikade and I am 23 years old. I was born in Mtata on the 15 of June 1989. I attended Qhayiya Senior Secondary School and I passed Grade 11.
I came to Masakhane in 2007. I have one son. My goal it to learn more about plants while at Green Futures. I want to find a great job here at Grootbos or somewhere.
My name is Vuyiswa Higo. I am 22 years old. I was born in King Williams' town on the 11th of May, 1990. I went to Zanovuyo Senior Secondary School and passed Grade 11. I came to Gansbaai in 2011. I want to know more about nature, plants and trees and also to learn more challenges like doing practical things. May goal, when I finish Green Futures, is to have my own little nursery or to work at a nursery.
My name is William Phaliso. I am 26 years old and I was born in Sterkspruit on the 2nd of April, 1985. I attended Qhayiya Secondary School and passed Grade 11. I came to Masakhane in 2000. I have one daughter. I want to learn more about plants and trees. It was my dream to learn in Green Futures so now I have it and it is up to me to shine or throw it all away, so I want to say thank you to Green Futures. It is about me now. I want to see myself on the list of top students but first I must work hard like a soldier.
