Update from Pat

The JTTI has just entered its second week of classes and we are settling into a rhythm. The Year 2’s have come back looking far more polished and professional from their Work Experience this summer (winter here). Thank you to all the hotels and companies who hosted our students. Breezes Beach Club and Spa, Jozani National Park, Utengule Coffee Farm and Lodge (Mbeya), ZHotel, Zantours, Mtoni Marine, and East Africa All Suites (Arusha); thank you so much for supporting the JTTI and our students during their time with you.

Phil Stuart has joined us, coming all the way from New Zealand. He brings with him a vast amount of knowledge and I know the male students, especially, are happy to have him here. He is always in a good mood and we get to hear his laughter and feel his positive energy. As part of his assignment he is teaching the Business class and students are already starting to think of opportunities for themselves.

Hamidi, one of our Year 2 graduates this year has also joined us as staff and is doing a great job team teaching with me in Food Safe and training and supervising the school restaurant Alibi’s Well.

We also have Sarah and Jenny who are volunteering with us and Katja will be returning in October. Sarah and Jenny are both English teachers and Katja has been teaching this summer with Sine and Claus (thank you for looking after the house plants among the many other contributions you made whilst here). So many people with a strong spirit of volunteering but also dedicated to having fun too. The students are going to benefit greatly from your skills and talents.

Alastair has written many of the things that I wanted to say about Sine but let me add some more to it. After two years, Sine has finally come to the end of her volunteering position with us. She joined us as a VSO volunteer but has become part of the family. Her dedication to her job at the JTTI and her students has been nothing short of wonderful. During her time here she became my right-hand woman. We worked together on the Train-the-Trainer program which we rolled out for the World Bank; she was our scheduler, report writer and marketer and she learned to make incredible sushi. She also brought strong teaching skills to the JTTI and the students learned a great deal from her. We are going to miss her but she won’t be far as she has taken a job offer on Zanzibar. I know that she will be happy to come as a guest to the restaurant and will be a frequent visitor to keep her eyes on things! Thanks Sine. You know that words cannot express enough how we feel about you.