What they say about their experiences!
Jason Hermanus
Our son Jason Hermanus received an opportunity in a lifetime when he got selected to work at NAME through Away2Xplore. He left on the 6th of March 2011 and will arrive back home to South Africa around the 24th of Nov 2011.
He would have arrived on the 3/4th Nov but when the opportunity arose for them to stay on for an additional two weeks it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Make no mistake it has not always been plain sailing as he does work hard but this is absolutely nothing in comparison to the return on investment his receiving. The fair wages, free board and lodging including the opportunity of seeing a great deal of a first world country is beyond the dreams of most people. The soft and hard skills gained so far are immeasurable. Skills such as independence, inter-dependence, communication, problem solving, team work, and so much more. I wish I had these opportunities when I was his age. In fact I wish there were opportunities like this for our age group!
Someone once said that your mind, once stretched by a new idea or a new experience never regains its original shape certainly holds true for Jason. Judging from our telephonic conversations with him it is clear that he has undergone a huge paradigm shift. Experiences such as these are something you cannot learn from a book or from someone, it can only happen after been placed in a situation that will inevitably give you this difference in perspective. My wife and I certainly believe that when he arrives home it will take time for him to adjust/adapt to the South African way of life again - considering the fact that he has tasted freedom and culture of the American way of life. He is having a super time in between the hard work but and I am sure he will treasure these memories for the rest of his life. I have a feeling that when arrives home his going to want to do it again – it is addictive as your brochure clearly spells out.
Jason will only be back in about five and a half weeks time but my wife and I would like to extend our gratitude and say thanks – you have by far exceeded our expectations, not only for our son but for all the other South African youngsters who have been given a similar opportunity. Your benevolence is beyond reproach. All of this would not have been possible if it were not for Away2Xplore.
PS: We will be more than happy to share our experiences, from a parent perspective, to any future group should the need arise.
Kind regards
Andre L. Hermanus