We just love the “Where are they now” stories that inevitably emerge on our annual camps. Desert Rhino Camp’s Edison Gevin Awarab has one such inspirational story.
He joined CITW in 2005 as a camper, and it was on that particular camp that he learned to care for the environment in a sustainable way, and to conserve the environment for future generations.
As Edison says, “I learned about recycling and saving, and the importance of the ecosystem, and the biological interaction with science. I learned to be contemporary in my approach to nature. I fell in love with nature when I saw the beautiful landscapes that Damaraland possesses – and that was the beginning of my dream, my journey to becoming an environmental activist, and in 2008 I joined the YES (Youth Environmental Stewardship) programme”.
It was on this trip that his future became clear: Edison took a keen interest in cooking after seeing how the chefs were preparing the food, and he decided he too wanted to be a chef. Edison joined Palmwag Lodge as a scullery, washing dishes until he became a chef after two years.
Edison is currently at Desert Rhino Camp as a scullery, where he is working towards becoming a chef.
“My advice to the aspiring kids,” he says, “is stay focused, stay grounded; work, believe in your abilities and derive a mindset that can lead you to success. Be optimistic. I was washing dishes in the kitchen and just checking out what the chefs were doing until I become one. You have to be in it with hard work to make it”.
