Elewana’s Guide Apprenticeship program has begun this month after the exciting final decision was made in selecting five new apprentice guides who will report to Elewana camps throughout the year, including one female guide - a first for Elewana.
Charl Grobler, Elewana’s Guide & Activities Manager who is leading the program, shared some background on the application process and his insights on the new apprentice guides.
We received nearly 700 applications from applicants in Tanzania and Kenya. Applications were sent in via email with a 500-word motivation letter and applicants were required to have formal training and a degree or diploma in nature conservation, guiding, or wildlife management. We narrowed the pool down to 60 applicants, who were then chosen for interviews in Nairobi and Arusha. During the interviews, I looked for personality, communication skills, and experience. After all the interviews, only 5 applicants were chosen. Applicants will spend a month at a time at each camp for one year and the hope is that after a year, they will be able to join our guiding team as junior guides.
The Kenya apprentices will begin at Lewa Safari Camp while those in Tanzania begin at Tarangire Treetops. I will be in daily contact with the apprentices and will be in close contact with General Managers and guides who will help steer the program.
Our Kenya Apprentice Guides include:
- Joseph Karobia:
- Although he has spent his career in the kitchen, Joseph has always had a passion for guiding. His dream is to become a guide for Elewana. He holds a KPSGA silver certification, conducted training with Eco-training, and has freelance guided in the past.
- Alex Tiges:
- Alex holds a two-year diploma in tour guiding and wildlife studies, is a bronze level KPSGA, and spent 5 months researching vultures in the Mara. He is a keen photographer, young and energetic.
- Bill Kipchirchir:
- Bill has a diploma in Wildlife Management from KWS Training and has worked as a cheetah researcher and dog handler for Action for Cheetah. Bill is very keen and well-spoken.
Our Tanzania Apprentice Guide includes:
- Angela Desdery:
- Angela studied guiding at Mweka and has freelance guiding experience. She recently also summited Kilimanjaro! She holds a wealth of experience, along with being well-spoken and very confident in her abilities, making her a great asset to the team. She is also the first female in Elewana’s guide program!
- Clever Fednand:
- Clever recently worked for SkySafari and he is passionate about guiding. He is well-spoken and has a great track record in the hospitality industry.
We will be sure to share more updates from Charl and the apprentice guides throughout the year as they progress in the program.