A Home for Every Horse was created in 2011 as the result of a partnership between the Equine Network, the nation’s leading publisher of equine-related content, and The American Horse Council’s Unwanted Horse Coalition. The program provides a resource for 501(c)(3) horse rescue organizations. The ‘A Home for Every Horse’ program helps connect rescue horses in need of homes, in over 600 rescues across the United States, with people looking for horses. To make the connection between rescue horses and homes, rescue organizations can list their horses for free on Equine.com, the world’s largest horse marketplace, where they can be seen by 300,000 visitors each month. Rescue organizations involved with A Home for Every Horse are also provided with many great benefits from the sponsors involved with the program. They specifically work with sponsors to help provide much needed assistance to rescues around the country. In recent years, Purina has donated a half ton of feed to eligible rescues through A Home for Every Horse. Absorbine, WeatherBeeta and Tractor Supply, provide many great donations to rescues that are featured events attended by A Home for Every Horse staff each year. Equine rescue organizations are overwhelmed with taking care of the ever-growing homeless horse population. A Home for Every Horse is dedicated to bridging the gap between rescue organizations and people that can help. Through A Home for Every Horse, over 1,000 horses are adopted annually, along with many others who receive assistance from the A Home for Every Horse sponsors. Participating as a sponsor of A Home for Every Horse, sponsors are not only able to help horses that are seeking their forever home, they are also able to involve the consumer market in helping rescue horses around the country. As volunteers, not only are you able to participate in the recovery of the animals at the rescue, but are also taught and trained on many subjects about the basic care of horses and donkeys; such as nutrition, hoof care, and behaviour. You would be able to watch and learn from trainers working with young horses, helping with medical care by administering daily medications. A Home for Every Horse, providing loving rehabilitation, nursing and hospice care for equines with medical needs, and helping to find sanctuaries for those at risk.

Damascus Equine Associates (DEA) is a group of private ambulatory equine practitioners, each with their own practices, clients and office staff. DEA members share an outpatient clinic in Mount Airy, MD. The members share use of the clinic, emergency coverage, as well as equipment. The practice area covers all of Howard and Montgomery counties, and parts of Carroll and Frederick counties in Maryland. Damascus Equine Associates is a group of independent practitioners who work together to provide twenty-four hour, seven day a week emergency service to our clients. With each doctor having an area of interest and specialization, we can offer a variety of services within our group. Damascus Equine Associates offers a wide range of both ambulatory and in-clinic veterinary services in central Maryland. We are dedicated to providing high-quality comprehensive care, with the long-term health and well being of your horse as our primary mission. Each of our talented equine practitioners has a fully equipped truck that includes dental, radiographic, and ultrasonographic capabilities. In the clinic, we also offer radiography, endoscopy, and advanced regenerative medicine. While we provide 24-hour emergency ambulatory service, we also have strong, reliable relationships with surrounding referral clinicians and hospitals for advanced diagnostic, medical and surgical care. In addition to traditional sports medicine, Damascus Equine Associates offers a wide range of alternative therapies. When used properly by a trained veterinarian, alternative therapies can aid in your horse’s return from an injury. Currently, DEA offers acupuncture, chiropractics, mesotherapy and prolotherapy. Few things cause as much concern to the horse owner as an equine medical emergency. Acute illness, colic, injury or severe lameness can occur without warning and at any time As a client of Damascus Equine Associates, you and your horse have access to emergency service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The veterinarians rotate emergency duty and can provide emergency phone consultations or farm visits if your horse requires medical attention. Diagnostic imaging is essential to Damascus Equine Associates. Our imaging modalities include Digital Radiography, Digital Ultrasonography, and Endoscopy. Digital Radiography provides digital x-ray images of the equine skeleton while digital ultrasonography shows detailed digital sound-wave images of soft tissue structures. Endoscopy provides live video representation of the organ of intrest. Each of these imaging techniques provide detailed diagnostic information to best serve us in determining therapeutic options for our patients, as well as education and communication with our clients. Damascus Equine Associates provides internal medicine services both at the farm and in our clinic. Dr. Amy Polkes provides consultation and specialty services for our medical cases as well. Preventative medicine is the basis of comprehensive patient care. Damascus Equine Associates offer a variety of vaccine and deworming programs tailored to the needs of each client and patient. Other preventative medicine services include dentistry, wellness laboratory tests and Coggins tests. Observations and consultations during wellness visits allow for discussions regarding both general health matters and specific issues pertaining to individual horses.

Deerwood Ranch Wild Horse EcoSanctuary. Located west of Laramie in the beautiful Centennial Valley of Wyoming. We are the very first BLM Certified Wild Horse EcoSanctuary. What this means is that we are private land owners approved by the BLM to care for wild horses. Deerwood Ranch is a family owned operation that has been used for cattle ranching for over 30 years. With the growing need to maintain the numbers of wild horses and with dwindling grazing available in the wild, the BLM (Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior) has turned to private land owners for help. There are 16 wild horse herd management areas in Wyoming alone, operated by the BLM on public properties. Ours is the very first Wild Horse Eco Sanctuary on private land in the entire United States. Here, these beautiful animals will be able to live out their lives and be cared for in a setting that is as close to possible like their natural environment... only better! Deerwood Ranch is approximately 4,700 acres of Wyoming beauty. With the Middle Fork of the Little Laramie River running through the property, there is year-round access to live running water. Abundant trees and willows provide refuge and great protection from the realities of Wyoming Winter. Open fields invite long runs and lazy afternoon grazing. 350 wild Wyoming mustangs call Deerwood home, not to mention the native deer, elk, coyote and all manner of wildlife. The ranch is conveniently located approximately 35 miles west of Laramie and south of Centennial. We are near the Snowy Range, Medicine Bow National Forest and numerous outdoor activities, recreation areas, etc. We also operate a year-round guest cabin right on the property. So, your vacation options are limitless. Give us a call today and come visit our magnificent wild horses!

Desert Pines Equine Medical and Surgical Center was established in 1998, we have 5 veterinarians with over 100 years of combined experience to serve Las Vegas and the surrounding communities. We have surgery specialists on staff to perform both elective and emergency surgeries for all of your horse’s needs. Desert Pine Equine is happy to announce that friend and colleague Dr. Julie Page will be available on a monthly to bimonthly basis to add chiropractic services to our lameness services. Dr. Page is certified in Animal Chiropractic by Option for Animals College of Animal Chiropractic. She will complement Desert Pine Equine's performance horse lameness services. Chiropractic procedures paired with traditional, evidence-based medicine provides integrative care for common neuromuscular conditions. This powerful combination enhances performance, function, and quality of life through the use of complementary and alternative veterinary medical treatment.

Catskill Animal Sanctuary is a 150-acre refuge in New York’s Hudson Valley for 11 species of farmed animals rescued from cruelty, neglect and abandonment. Over the years, thousands have come to this place of profound peace. Catskill Animal Sanctuary rescues farmed animals, ignites social change to end their exploitation, and champions vegan living. One snowy day in January 2001 a tiny pony named Dino, the sole survivor of a horrific barn fire, hobbled off the trailer and onto their grounds, now, more than 5,000 animals have called Catskill Animal Sanctuary home. Whether they’ve come from animal hoarders or agribusiness, suffered horrendous cruelty or prolonged neglect, they have each been heartily welcomed at Catskill Animal Sanctuary. And it is also the story of rescuing a derelict property in Saugerties, NY, and creating a sanctuary in its place — one road, one barn and one pasture at a time, as funds come in from folks near and far who want to help. Over the years they have demolished collapsed buildings, dredged ponds, installed roads, built a dozen barns and two dozen smaller shelters, created roomy pastures, added solar power, purchased adjoining property, and so much more, so that today Catskill Animal Sanctuary is comprised of 150 acres of pastured and wooded land — a haven for those lucky enough to find their way there. Their history is about more than repairing broken bodies, broken spirits, and broken fencing; it also reflects our growing recognition that a massive societal shift to plant-based living is not only a moral imperative, it’s essential to our very survival. In 2001, after turning down an offer to lead a new charter high school, Kathy Stevens co-founded Catskill Animal Sanctuary, where her love of teaching, her belief that education has the power to transform, and her love of animals come together. One of the world’s leading sanctuaries for farmed animals, Catskill has saved more than 5,000 non-human individuals through direct rescue — and exponentially more through programming that encourages humans to adopt veganism. Kathy is the author of Where the Blind Horse Sings and Animal Camp, two critically and popularly acclaimed books about the work of Catskill Animal Sanctuary; she’s also a contributor to books, podcasts and articles on animal sentience, animal rights and veganism. Kathy takes her message of kindness to all beings to conferences and colleges across the U.S. and Canada and looks forward to transitioning from her Executive Director role to full-time “vision keeping,” speaking and writing in support of the Sanctuary’s urgent mission. If you love animals and want to be part of creating a more compassionate world for all beings, volunteer with them! Animal care, Compassionate Cuisine, outreach and events, communications and business administration offer year-round positions; seasonally, sign up for opportunities assisting with weekend tours and youth programming. There are more than 300 animals at the Sanctuary who need daily care and attention. They also have a vibrant cooking program, and specialized programming for kids and teens. Immerse yourself in their world for a summer or a semester! Through virtual field trips at Catskill Animal Sanctuary, your students can help build a relationship with the animals who share our planet – no matter where in the world you’re located!

Dust Devil Ranch Sanctuary for Horses (DDR) is a horse rescue organization located in Southern Utah. Our purpose is to take in abused, neglected and abandoned horses from around the state. Because we believe in the humane treatment of horses, as well as all other animals, we provide food, shelter, medical care, rehabilitation, adoption services, a permanent home when necessary, and lots of love and attention so that they may enjoy the dignified life they deserve. Dust Devil Ranch Sanctuary for Horses (DDR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, and as such, we are supported through the generosity of private and corporate donations and sponsors. There are no salaries paid. Dust Devil Ranch relies solely on volunteers who generously donate their time to feed, exercise, groom, and clean stalls, as well as facility maintenance, fundraising, public education and special events. Most importantly, DDR volunteers provide daily love and attention for all of the horses that have found sanctuary at the rescue. A concerted effort between our horse rescue, its volunteers and the generous help from our veterinarians, trainers and farriers helps these horses recover their health, regain their spirit and become useful again in life. Our ultimate goal is to find permanent homes for every horse that arrives at the ranch, and typically, most of the horses are ready to go to approved adoption homes within a few months after their arrival. Those that are ‘unadoptable’ live out their lives here on the ranch or go to foster homes. The horses and other animals at Dust Devil Ranch have some extraordinary stories and journeys. Many have special needs and their time here at the sanctuary has helped them heal and regain their confidence and calmness. Spending time with these horses is a real treat, both for visitors and the animals themselves. Check out a few of the Dust Devil residents! The work of Dust Devil Ranch is supported primarily through the kindness and compassion of individuals and corporations. Through the generous support of hearts and hands of people like you, we are able to make certain that the horses that come under our care will never again suffer. On any given day, Dust Devil Ranch cares for a population of 30 to 40 horses that have come to us through animal control and other humane agencies from situations of abuse and neglect.

It is the Dharmahorse Equine Sanctuary vision to sustain a sanctuary in which unwanted horses prosper; provide an environment in which humans benefit from structured interactions with the horses; and educate the public on holistic horse care. To provide a safe and loving environment in which horses and humans can meet, interact, thrive, and learn from one another. Follow a practice of organic, natural horse care and training that develops humans in ways that allow them to live more mindful, compassionate, and joyful lives. Embrace three principles of compassionate action: learning, speaking, and doing. Dharmahorse Equine Sanctuary objectives are to provide sustenance, shelter, health care, training, and purpose for as many unwanted horses as is possible through multifaceted, non-toxic methods. Offer horse-inspired, educational activities that enrich the life experiences of both children and adults through an online school and videos, created by our founder. Present educational programs that teach people integrative, holistic, and organic ways to care for horses. To help the horse you can purchase Dharma T-shirts. Bonfire creates beautiful T-Shirts and Sweatshirts with our art on them. If you sign up and each Amazon purchase donates a portion to Dharmahorse at no cost to you! You can purchase items for the horses (from supplements to feed items and more) directly from CHEWY. We don't do this for donations, we need donations to do this. Help the horses with a one time or monthly donation.

I am a Zambian born, comes from a family of 8 and the youngest of the Mwila’s. My siblings always thought I was spoilt because I was the youngest, but I don’t think so! I was born in a town called Mufulira on the Copper belt side of Zambia in 1981,the Copper belt province is rich with mineral finds and Mines, hence the name. I am Married to Eric and we have a beautiful daughter called Chanda, she is 15 years. I completed my matric in 1999 and my mother advised me to study food production since I loved cooking, I did it for her though it was a course that I never dreamt of studying. I graduated successfully and worked for 2 years as a chef, got tired of cooking, I dodged that career and went into studying computers, worked as a receptionist and studied Human resources at the same time and obtained a diploma. I worked for a courier company as a Human Resources assistant. In 2012, I moved to South Africa, Cape Town when I got married, joined a Mobile Money company called Zoona with operations in Zambia, and I worked there for 5 years as a support agent. Zoona is an African Fintech company founded in 2009 with the vision of helping communities thrive. Since launching, it created over 2,500 jobs in Zambia and Malawi, empowered over 1,000 entrepreneurs to start their own business and allowed them to reach earnings of over $10 million. I enjoyed working for this company because we really helped girl child prevail. Apart from the above, I am a lover of interior designing, and my wish is to have one of the most successful Interior business one day, through my passion for interior, I designed my sister’s Kitchen area, how amazing!!! I love cooking and baking (especially Cake pops), they are my favorites!!! I love adventure, gardening and working out too, I am a gym freak. Most importantly, I love spending time with my loved ones. I reflect a varied personality, including ambition, and the qualities of generosity and thoughtfulness. I am also a well determined and vigorous individual, and yet calm. I encourage fighting for what you desire and believe in and doing it through God because nothing great comes easy. I believe mindfulness in the workplace is key to success. Having worked in Customer care I have gained extensive experience in; Empathy, Adaptability, Ability to Use Positive Language, Clear Communication Skills, Self-Control, Taking Responsibility and Patience.

I have four passions in life. My sport, family, work and God. Each I pursue with dogged determination to be better and to excel. The greatest blessing and experience in life is the privilege of life is having a loving and supporting wife and incredible children. My relationship with each of them is treasured above all. I am blessed in that I am healthy, enjoy the blessing of life and am extremely active. I am thrilled to be able to compete on the international stage for home and country. Success therein is just a cherry on top. Career and work has been an incredible experience. Knowing what I wanted to be early in high school and achieving such has brought about economic emancipation and a lifestyle I could only dream about as a little boy. I bask in the success and abilities given to me and the blessing poured out in great abundance.

I'm the family person, hard-working woman, a mom of a handsome boy, adventures and a God fearing woman. I worked at the Department of Health as an Administration Clerk for 5 years. We've opened an N.P.O Youth Initiative. We are developing youth in programs such as soccer, reading and our culture. We conduct awareness campaigns about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. We facilitate the formation of support groups. And I have passion in farming. We started poultry farming and rabbits and we are selling the eggs in our community. I've done short course in Financial Management at University of Forte at PFMA.

El Santuario Winston funciona como una organización sin fines de lucro dedicada al cuidado de caballos que se encuentran desprotegidos. Este Santuario comenzó en noviembre de 2012 como una asociación, y no es sino hasta 2016 que deciden convertirse en Santuario, es decir, en un lugar que alberga animales, procurándoles una vida digna y lo más parecida a lo que sería estar en libertad en su habitad natural. La mayoría de los animales cuando llegan al Santuario, tienen problemas físicos y psicológicos. Por lo que en el Santuario son atendidos para curar sus heridas físicas con recursos veterinarios y algunos tratamientos alternativos que conocen. En cuanto a los problemas psicológicos que puedan presentar, tales como miedo a boxes, miedo al manejo, miedo a los humanos, depresión por separación de sus compañeros de vida, etc., cuentan con profesionales que les sirven de guía, manteniendo durante el proceso de recuperación una constante observación, respetando el espacio y el tiempo que requieren los animales y ofreciéndoles todo el amor y la atención necesaria para que sanen sus heridas. Aunque el ambiente fue pensado para ayudar con la recuperación de caballos, en el Santuario acogen a cualquier animal que necesite un espacio para vivir tranquilo. Es por eso que han albergado a una gran variedad de especies y, actualmente, es posible encontrar caballos, ponis, burritos, ovejas, cabras, perros, gatos y gallinas, y seguramente no va a parar aquí. Con más de 9 años de trayectoria salvando animales, las personas que trabajan en el Santuario Winston, ya han ayudado directamente a más de 200 animales, e indirectamente, a muchos otros que reciben la atención que necesitan gracias a las charlas, talleres, visitas y otras actividades que fomentan la creación de conciencia y el correcto cuidado que se debe tener para con los animales. Existen varias figuras que permiten apoyar la causa del Santuario, que permiten que cualquier persona interesada pueda participar ya sea haciendo labores de voluntariado, como socio o colaborador, o apadrinando a uno de los caballos.

Born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and I am currently living in South Africa at Cape Town for seven years. I am single from now and busy shaping my programming skills and IT knowledge at Cape Peninsula university of technology (CPUT). I am a software developer, I am always keen to discover and learn about new technology and invention in IT world, I have a good understanding of programming languages, internet cloud services and Desktop support CompTIA A+. I am a self-motivated person, reliable, determined, very skilful in communication, fast learner with an open mind to expose myself into new world and concept. Live is a journey about challenges and discovering that’s why I am always ready to face new challenge in technology and software world. I really like to play guitar and read books about science and others because knowledge for me is one of the keys to open doors, make a difference and discovering new area in live.

My name is Noxolo Femele and I'm 42 years old and I have 2 kids both are girls age 17 and 13 years old. I worked for 43 Air School as a Receptionist for the past 5 year and while I was there I used to help out at the Admin area and at Marketing department, and that had lead me on having the ambition to become 1 of the Managers but unfortunately we got retrenched. Then I worked for Lendcor group as a Sales consultant for 1 year 6 months same we got retrenched. That's where I decided to start my small business just to put food on the table until now but things are not doing well due to Covid-19.

I am a God fearing individual, and I’m also a father to two beautiful kids, a boy and a girl. I worked for Tekkie Town as a Sales Assistant and I was chosen as the best Sales person for the entire Mpumalanga province. I also worked for the Department of agriculture as a Data capture. I have a passion for sports, football is one of my favourites and one day I wish I can own a soccer team. While I was in high school, I always wanted to be a lawyer but due to financial constraints I could not become one. My interest in the justice system came when I realised that the late former president Mr Nelson Mandela was also a lawyer representing his people. I wish one day I could give back to my community and its people because my community gave us the likes of the late Steve Bantu Biko, one of the BCM Members who fought for the people of South Africa. My community is one of the underdeveloped communities of this country, but I know that one day all of this will change because I know that with education anything is possible. When a child is educated communities will change for the better and if one community changes, then our country will change for the better as well and poverty will be no more. Education topped with one’s perseverance is the key to a bright future for all. With this pandemic people have lost their jobs and in some households you find that no one is working and people resort to drugs and alcohol, some get depressed to a point of taking their own lives. If we can start developing jobs for people, our continent would become a better place for us all. Being part of an initiative that supports the empowerment of those less privileged is one of my greatest wishes. I will be glad if all my wishes do come through because nothing is as important as education and hard work, and an educated country means a better world for us all.

I am Elnet Girly Ndlovu. I am 29 years old. I was born and raised in Mpumalanga, South Africa. I graduated from high school in the year 2012 and am currently studying for a higher certificate in economics and management sciences through the university of South Africa. I have also obtained a certificate in business administration and Computer literacy of which I seek to study further to do entrepreneurship. I began my career as a customer service representative in 2014. Naturally, I have a growth mindset that enables me to grow and to help me by learning from mistakes to improve myself continually. I am kind, loving, caring and a person who is full of empathy often. I am a go-getter, positive, bubbly person who loves a positive fun filled environment. I am self-motivated and also enjoy motivating my team members. I work well in a team or individually. I am passionate about education, uplifting others, entrepreneurship and making a better society for the future generation to come while walking the journey of self-discovery I have more than four years experience in customer service and administration combined with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Skilled in Administrative Assistance, Meeting Scheduling, Executive Support. I have excellent interpersonal skills, I am also a fast learner and adapt quickly to a new environment My hobbies are reading books, listening to music, walking and learning new things.

My name is Glorymar Hernandez, but I prefer to be called “Glory”. I was born in the capital of Venezuela, Caracas, and grew up amid the crowds of the city, the tranquility of the Andean mountains and the joy of the Caribbean coast. A mixture that has taught me to enjoy wherever I am, that aroused my curiosity to know the world, and that has helped me to adapt, with relative ease, to changes. I have a degree in Philosophy, my research works are in Philosophy of Language. Since 2019 I have been working as a Spanish teacher. I decided to start teaching my mother tongue thanks to my experience learning other languages. I had the opportunity to live for a year in Ireland, where I went to learn English and, currently, I am in Italy, where I have had the opportunity to learn Italian. These experiences allowed me to realize that, although seeking perfection when trying to “speak like a native” is the ideal, what really matters is being able to communicate, make ourselves understood and be open to the experience of knowing other cultures and understand that there are many different points of view. Professionally, I have had the opportunity to work in different contexts such as banking, outsourcing consular procedures, and teaching at university level. The biggest lesson I learned from these experiences is that I am not an office person. I prefer to own my time and have the freedom to work wherever I am. For this reason, I have decided to dedicate myself to teaching Spanish online and to enter the digital world. I consider myself a very curious and versatile person, that is why in my free time I enjoy handcrafting (such as sewing or knitting), volunteering, being in contact with nature, and trying to learn new things, like playing the guitar. Regarding my geographical preferences, the beach and the mountains are my main refuges, because I can escape from the noise of the city and connect with myself. That is why I would like to be able to live with my husband on a mountain, not far from the sea.

I’m Toni-Leigh, born and bred in the Mother City of Cape Town. My fiancé and I, are parents to a lively 2-year-old girl who arrived 5 years after losing our 3-year-old son to a rare genetic disease. I love learning new things. Growing up, I was a voracious reader, reading anything and everything (even the classifieds and property ads) and with the advancement of technology over the years, I can have information at the tip of my fingers, so I’m always eager to learn new things and I’m a fast learner. I’ve always had an interest in Information Technology and was the go-to person in my office before my colleagues would go to the IT office, and now I’m looking into further studies so that I can develop my knowledge and skills. In 2005, I graduated from Varsity College with a Diploma in Travel and Tourism, with aspirations of travelling worldwide in my profession. Things didn’t quite work out that way, having worked in retail and a company assisting young people to live and work in the UK. In the last decade or so, I’ve been in the tourism industry behind the scenes, working for an online holiday accommodation booking agency and more recently a company that does tours and safaris in Southern Africa. I also do freelance work remotely, such as, captioning for a speech-to-text service and social media evaluation. I am an introvert but enjoy working with and being in the company of others, while also enjoying being on my own. In the past I used to view being an introvert as a weakness because those higher up in the ranks of the companies I worked for were extroverted but in recent times I realised how much of a strength it is being an introvert as I also have a strong sense of empathy, which I believe is key in Customer Service and building interpersonal relationships with colleagues and clients. I’m passionate about customer service and going the extra mile and l love that feeling of knowing that I’ve made a difference in someone’s day, whether big or small. People tend to describe me as hardworking, punctual, efficient, dependable and trustworthy. Covid-19 affected the tourism industry drastically, however, I still want to travel anywhere I can, just soaking up the different cultures and experiences. The last year has been both challenging and rewarding and it has made me see things in a different light and so it has been somewhat of a new beginning for me. I am motivated now more than ever to seek out new passions and adventures and to get out of my comfort zone.

Wamkilekile (‘Welcome’ in isiXhosa) to one and all! My name is Iman Martin – ‘Iman’ having both Arabic and African meanings for ‘faith’. Just like my name, I come from a multicultural background: my mom has Indian and Malaysian origins, while my dad is from the Griqua people/clan in South Africa. In the same vein, I am a Muslim and have Christian relatives, with who I am very close. It is because of my diverse background that I feel I was raised to be both tolerant and respectful towards those that are of a different culture, religion, or ethnicity. Cape Town has been the only home I know, and I’ve never ventured far out of it. I do however envision myself travelling to different parts of the world a few years from now. I am passionate about women’s empowerment and women having the choice to choose for themselves! I have recently graduated from the University of Cape Town, with a Bachelor of Social Work (Psychology Major) and placed on the Dean’s Merit List, awarded for consistent academic achievement. Through hard work and perseverance, I was fortunate to have received a scholarship from the Department of Social Development for three of my four years of study. My mini-thesis explored the experiences and challenges of 1st-year students at UCT adjusting to university. Studying social work has not only allowed me to better understand those around me and their thought processes but also, to better understand myself and the possible reasons why I am the way I am. As part of my course requirements, I had to complete field practicals – by putting the theory that I was learning in class to practice in a real-world environment. My field practice experience ranged along a spectrum: from providing social work services to underprivileged youth in a primary school in Bonteheuwel, to interning in the more affluent area of Upper Wynberg, at an international school. This experience further fostered my innate empathy and non-judgemental outlook for those around me. I am someone who is not afraid to get my hands dirty, work hard and help out where I can: currently job hunting, I have occasionally been helping my father with renovations to his property that include painting, plastering, applying putty, etc. This has taught me many practical things that I hope to apply when I own my own house one day. A few months before now, I worked as a Personal Assistant to a therapist and social worker. This was a remote job that taught me valuable organisation and time-management skills. In my early years of study, I found myself working a sales assistant job at the Robben Island Museum Gateway store, and found that my favourite part of the job was interacting with the different tourists that happened upon our humble store and hearing their stories – where they were from and why they decided to visit SA, etc. I love reading, and since a young age, I’ve been considered a bookworm. I mainly enjoy supernatural and sci-fi novels and webcomics, as well as other forms of content such as newspaper and magazine articles (need to know what’s happening in the world around me). English was also my favourite subject at school, and I think this was also encouraged by my English-teacher mother, who was quick to correct any incorrect grammar and pronunciation when my siblings and I spoke incorrectly. I often assisted her in marking her learners’ English examination scripts and as a result, am quick to pick up on spelling or grammatical errors. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, long walks with my dog Ninja, and photography. This has led me to submit a piece that is currently being exhibited at the Zeits Mocca Art Museum, in their long-running ‘Home is Where The Art Is’ exhibition. Furthermore, my faith has given me strength through the darkest times and taught me to be tolerant and understanding of those around me. I am still very much figuring life and myself out as I go along and am always open to learning from those around me.

“Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” A Japanese proverb close to my heart. It has helped me persevere in so many situations in life and those situations have molded me into the woman I am today. Here’s a brief introduction to who I am. I am a new mommy to an adorable baby boy. A jack of all trades. I’m an artist at heart, fitness enthusiast, avid reader, and quite academic. I was born on the 9th of August in the year 1996 in Elim, a small village in the Limpopo Province. I grew up in Johannesburg and later moved to Pretoria in 2006 when I was in Grade 4, where I completed the rest of my school career. I have always been one to participate in almost every extra-mural activity since my primary school years, I played softball, hockey, and cricket. I took part in cross-country and district athletics to name a few. My love for sports made me gravitate towards what I currently do part-time, I train on a regular basis, and I am a wellness coach and a distributor for a prominent nutrition brand. A large part of what I do involves helping people correct their nutrition and learn more about the benefits of healthy eating so that they can lead a healthier lifestyle and feel great while they are at it. I have been involved in various projects that involved giving back to those in need. I have been involved with an initiative called Feed a Homeless Homie, where we made food for the homeless and distributed it at least one weekend a month, I also helped a friend of mine with a pads drive for less fortunate girls, I also give clothes to homeless shelters for women and children whenever I can and I worked with an NGO known as Keep That Gold Shining (KTG) where we tutored young kids in high schools in the townships. I am a philanthropist at heart and believe that even the smallest contribution goes a long way. As mentioned, I am also an artist, mostly self-taught. I do painting on commission as well as pencil sketching. I do not have a specific style as yet, but most of my work features women from different walks of life. I would like to collaborate with more artists in the future and have exhibitions. I try to read at least one book a month. My favorite writers have always been James Patterson and Dan Brown however I recently branched out to other genres besides suspense and thrillers. Some of my latest reads are: • Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki • Atomic Habits by James Clear • The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho • Half of a yellow sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie • No Longer At Ease by Chinua Achebe I can speak at least 6 of the 11 official languages, I am fairly tech-savvy. I am a quick learner, always willing to pick up a new skill. Life has thrown several curveballs at me and I never backed down. I strongly believe in working hard and not giving up on anything I do. My name means ‘Be Strong’, that is who I am!

I am Alonzo Van Aarde, born on 9th July 2002. I was raised in Cape Town, South Africa, I am the oldest son out of 6 children, Recently (last year 2020) I have matriculated in my hometown, Mitchell’s plain. I never quite had a fixed job but I have had my fair share of holiday jobs in a shoe store it was called first stop shoes in a shopping complex close to home. In my free time, I would work private jobs with my father and doing shop fitting and house renovations all over Cape Town. I loved helping my father out. It was also a way for me to have extra pocket money. I also worked at a Taylor blinds company, whereby the production of blinds called Taylor blinds in Montague gardens. I took part in various programs whilst at school, namely, in leadership development skills with a NPO called M.O.V.E and another called J.A.M, where I was taught to run my own business. This was done during my schooling, I have obtained certificates for these courses. These two courses were done over a period of 12 months, I was also an RCL members as well as a Prefect at my school. I am also part of a group called M.O.C (mission of Christ), where I furthered my leadership skills but in a more spiritual sense in doing so we take part in outreach programs and preach the gospel. I speak fluently English and Afrikaans. I am currently studying Japanese, because I am intrigued by it. I am computer literate, Microsoft enabled as well as Linux. I am also a musician. In my spare time, I teach people to play an instrument and also to read music. I also write my own music as well as produce music. I use this skill to help many young and upcoming artists I work with an Organization called My Child Is Your Child, Creating a platform where young people can showcase their talents and make something out of themselves. I live in a rough community where children are killing children and I’ve joined this organization to make a change in a community through various forms of art. My hobbies are, playing different sporting activities, going to the gym, writing music and drawing portraits.

Rome wasn't built in a day. I’m of a very friendly nature and love to be with people who aren’t selfish. I am ambitious and will do anything to achieve my aim - "The Universe applauds action not thought"  I’m of a very adventurous nature and love to find good in everything I see. There are many things that make us depressed or upset, but that doesn’t mean that we stop living. You dust yourself off, honor the difficult times for the lesson it taught you, and walk away stronger and wiser. Independence and confidence were key in my life from a young age with venturing to the UK straight after school, and eventually ending up in Cape Town as my dream destination to live a happy balanced life where beautiful sunsets are part of your everyday life, and reminds you that dreams do come true. My professional life started as a labourer painting parks in the dire UK winter weather to Insurance consultant for a huge corporate company. Getting to know me over time, it became clear that I adapt quickly and take pride in everything I do, as I strive to leave everything and everyone better than you found them. Covid-19 and the drastic changes that came with it has been the most challenging and rewarding time of my life. With a system that failed us all in so many ways, living a financially stable life is nearly impossible but forced me to get grounded with nature and realize that the best things in life are truly free. My senses for nature, animals, and my overall humility enhanced drastically. We are all just reminded once again that nothing ever goes as planned and that losing everything including your mind might be necessary to make you realize what a strong, resilient, and galactic species we truly are. Realizing this, I am now more than ever ready to spread love and kindness whilst challenging myself with new adventures that push me out of my comfort zone. There is no other time than the present that truly matters. And in this moment, I am excited to change my reality and the lives of those around me.

Let's get to know Wandisile Mboxela was born in Cape Town, I’m the last born of four siblings parents background from the beautiful province of the Eastern Cape in Alice, My background was very poor parents had to move to Cape Town where all four siblings born. All my primary education, higher education done here in Cape Town, while was at school developed love for Sport, now I’m applying that love for sport to the young kids in my community keep them out of trouble, we grow up with a lot of trouble in my community now trying to chase that away, to build bright future to the young people by involving them in sport education activities, sport and education goes together if you want to build better future for others. Coming from where I came from, hard work pays, I was offered a Learnership qualification which introduced me to corporate world quite extensively. Good written and verbal communication skills in at least two of three official languages of the Western Cape, problem-solving and conflict management with good planning and organizational skills, ability to handle information as confidential and good interpersonal skills, to contribute and become part of a successful organization that motivate its employees to utilize their skill and talent effectively and efficiently, the knowledge and skills which I acquired over that period of time equipped me for future positions. I am a hard-working individual, and eager to learn, I was recently employed due to Covid-19 company layoff some staff. I was employed as Accounts Controller at Tourvest Travel Service and this involves extensive client interaction. Deliver an effective admin support service to staff and clients, communicate with suppliers regarding outstandings, verbally, via mail and telephonically. I have highly knowledge of Tourism and Hospitality which I achieved through Theta, Tourism Hospitality and Sport Education Training Authority. Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change, and I’m looking forward to be part and the future of ZaGenie. Thank you…

I was born in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), South Africa. I’m an outgoing person who is both introverted and extroverted depending on who I’m with. I enjoy meeting and interacting with new people because I believe this is how you learn and grow as a person. I’m forever looking for new adventures or challenges. I’m a go-getter, never afraid to fail because we learn more from our failures and build character from them. I believe one is never too old to learn something new things. “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” doesn’t apply in my life. I enjoy the outdoors, especially hiking, which has exposed me to some of the most beautiful hiking trails in South Africa. I also love taking game drives and explore our nature, especially the animals in their natural habitats. I haven’t had the opportunity to travel beyond the borders of my country. Hopefully one day I’ll travel the world, meet different people and get to experience diverse cultures and cuisines. I had dreams of becoming a medical doctor but due to financial difficulties I settled for a National Diploma in Biomedical Technology. At least I got to work in the medical environment with doctors and other medical personnel for about 5 years. I realised that working in a laboratory was not suitable for my personality because I love people, I enjoy interacting with different people. I enrolled for a Diploma in Marketing and that led me to the pharmaceutical industry where I combined both my medical background and the marketing qualification. I worked in Sales and Marketing departments. I also had the opportunity to turn my passion for fashion into a business adventure and started my online clothing store, which was a very exciting and challenging adventure. I learned a lot about importing and e-commerce. When motherhood happened and I took a break to become a stay home mom. I got involved in fitness and nutrition business. I realised that the entrepreneurship bug has got me and needed to empower myself to avoid mistakes I made in my previous business adventures, that is when I decided to register for a BCom degree in entrepreneurship via Unisa, which what I’m currently busy with. I am also teaching English as a foreign language online on a freelance basis. I plan to also learn one or two foreign languages as I plan to travel the world in the not-so-distant future. I’m excited about the future and learning more in this university of life.

I would consider myself a mix of both introverted and extroverted. I love being around and working with people, but I also enjoy my own company. I’m also very family orientated. Family is everything to me! My passions are a mix between working with/building fruitful relationships with people whether it be in the workplace or day to day life, I love helping people and bringing out the best of those around me. Outside of that, I also love doing anything to do with being outdoors. I’m always up for an adventure such as hiking, camping or even just a walk along the beach. I’m also passionate about and absolutely love animals. I’ve done horse-riding practically my entire life and it’s so therapeutic for me, to just get out into the country and get my mind off everything going on. I was born in Johannesburg, but lived the majority of my life in the beautiful mother city known as Cape Town. I’ve never got the chance to travel outside of South Africa, however it is something I have always wanted to do and I know I will accomplish in the future. In the meantime, there’s actually so many parts of my own country that I haven’t even experienced yet, so I’d love to start there. My work life has involved various industries, starting off with retail and moving on to the sales environment, both internal and external. I could say I had a certain plan for my life and career, but that all changed when I unexpectedly fell pregnant with my son. I then went from being an independent, carefree person to spending the last few months staying at home with my child. Which has honestly been life changing and I wouldn’t change a thing! However, it’s now time to get back into the working world and do everything in my power to give my son the life he deserves and one I wish I had growing up.

My Bio will tell you about my past and present. The past is important but nothing is more important as the present ME! The Beautiful and strong ME! The ME that makes the people who know and love me happy to be in my presence, the present me is what matters. My values and morals and my way of thinking are what is important, the past was just the "making of", the preview one see's of movies and series, the past is an ancient scroll where most of my life is narrated by my parents, teachers, siblings and the other significant people who come and go from one's life, My present is the true picture of what I am and who I am so let me give you insight into who I am: I am a straight talker, yet I am loving and a helpful person who is always willing to learn new things, I follow rules only when it makes sense and is fair. I was born to a mixed-race couple in the "old South Africa (during apartheid)" while the political climate was unstable and in its rebirth stage, my mixed-race background has made me culturally rich. Ancestrally I come from a diverse lineage, I have a Scottish and Irish father, a mother with little french a little Indian (Afghan and Pakistani), I have a little of everything, which has made me the odd one out as I look different from the rest of my family, I do not fit in with the brown people, I do not fit in with the white people and there is nothing wrong with that I do not need to be labeled to feel like I belong, I am one of the reasons why our country is known as the rainbow nation a mix and mashed beautiful product of all that is good. My personality and likes have made me the odd one out and the weird one, luckily my husband is just as weird as I am, I always tell him my weird matches his weird, it makes us a perfect match, we were made for each other destined to be together almost as if it was written in the stars, a destiny fulfilled with a happy future in the ahead of us. Happy and together forever and always, I still find it hard to believe that there is someone out there who not only gets me, who understands me, my way of thinking, and the way I view the world but most importantly who LOVE'S ME for ME! I consider myself spiritual and not religious, although I was raised catholic and attended a convent, where a lot of who I am today was made. The making of ME! The Sisters of Mercy and catholicism had the opposite of the intended effect on me, I am not deeply rooted in the catholic faith, even though I had many lovable and amazing teachers and friends who made my school days worthwhile. Religion does not make sense to me and I consider much of it to be untrue, designed and shaped to manipulate and to rule the masses or one could say those who prefer not to think for themselves who would rather be sheep and led to the slaughterhouse willingly. My philosophy is this: as long as I love myself and my neighbor, I believe I'm living the right way and try to instill those principles and values in my two sons. I believe that knowing and giving Love encompasses all the values needed to live a healthy life, Love naturally breeds, respect, forgiveness, and mindfulness. Love means living from the heart when one lives from the heart it naturally voids the ego, the ego destroys the manically malevolent whereas the heart creates and builds, Love is a tool with which one can build a life rich in emotional health, enlightenment, and mental stability. Love is my church, love is my essence and if ever I am in doubt I read up on the writings left to us by all the great masters, Jesus, Muhammed, Buddha the Dalai Lama and so many more masters, some of whom are more modern and still living and basically all their writings convey the message of Love. So this me and there is more to me than what is written here, but what is written here is more than enough to get to know me better.