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Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa

YEP Meeting

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

July 15, 2011

Hey All,

OK, so a while ago I thought : “why don’t I organize a YEP meeting in Cape Town?” I mean, it’s great to be active on a social network site like Pangaea-yep.com , but is it not better to actually meet other YEPs face-to-face ?

So, full of energy and motivation I created a YEP meeting Cape Town facebook event , searched all the SA YEPs profiles, invited them and also e-mailed them via the Pangaea website. Off course, to find a date that will suit everyone is just about impossible, but in the end we decided it to be the last Friday of the winter holidays as meeting on a term Saturday with everybody participating in sport, would be impossible. (Advice 1 – everybody has busy programs, accept that not everybody will be able to attend. And you cannot edit/add info to a fb event after 7 days from creating the event L – rather create a fb group).

Jana was the 1st to respond positively & slowly but surely other YEPs started contacting me . Some were very disappointed not to be able to join us since they were still travelling (thanks Charne & Rickous for rsvp – I am sure you’ll make it next time around!). Anchen convinced her folks to cut their holiday short so that she can also attend and Stefan came all the way from Struisbaai (wow, that’s commitment you 2!). Sure, there were some who just did not bother to respond L . (Advice 2 – Keep on trying with invites / SHOUT OUTs / emails…. Eventually YEPs will respond J – use their positive energy to carry on.)

Originally I thought to incorporate YEP flyer distribution as well, but as Kai advised – we needed to get to know each other , share ideas & create a database for easier future communication. This was to be the 1st YEP Cape Town meeting for most of us, so it was important to network and learn from each other’s strengths. I am sure this will prove to be invaluable in planning our future common projects. (Advice 3 – YEPs need to keep their profiles up to date with their contact info! Make it easy for others to contact you.)

Sharing our Selection camp/ Expedition experiences with new YEPs is a great way of getting everyone motivated & excited again – reliving those special moments reminds one of the incredible opportunities we have in promoting the Pangaea message. (Advice 4 – It’s great to help new YEPs and make them feel welcome in the community. Their fresh energy will be to the advantage of your projects! Motivate them to get active!)


With the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster still fresh in our minds, our visit to the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant proved to be very informative . Many ideas & concerns were shared amongst everybody and the presentation certainly made us aware of all the issues surrounding renewable & sustainable electricity generation in South Africa. ( Advice 5 – Learning from experts are important. Only then can you make an informed decision /opinion.)

During our picnic lunch break we had an impromptu discussion about possible future group projects. ( Advice 6 – Don’t be too structured with your meetings. Go with the flow, let all relax & create opportunity for informal discussions – this sometimes create the best ideas!)

Feeling energized, we all went on a hike through the Koeberg Nature Reserve. It was great to breath in the fresh air and feel the salty spray on our faces! The hike reminded me of the Raid, only at a much slower pace! ( Advice 7 – YEPs all love nature . Enjoy it together! )

We all greeted and went our own ways, feeling full of renewed enthusiasm for the Young Explorer Program!

Was it worth the effort to arrange a YEP meeting? Certainly! It is now much easier to ask help from other YEPs and we have encouraged each other to start with new projects and support each other. For me, that is definitely the highlight of meeting the

other YEPs – knowing that we can now personally share our passion & help each other because we are no longer just names on a social network, but real life friends with a common cause – spreading the Mike Horn YEP Pangaea message! ( Advice 8 – Don’t be scared , just Do it J )

Hope to be reading about your meetings soon!

Cheers

Henko

 


 

 

Comments

 

I really looked forward to the meeting and was not disappointed. I stayed at Louise the previous night so in the morning I went with Louise and Daniel to Big Bay where we found Henko and Juriaan, introductions were made and we started to chat (it was nice meeting people you always talk to on the site). We then went to cafe Sofia and soon the rest of the yeps filterd in, it was wonderful hearing about the experiences of the raid and the camp and made me even more enthusiastic to be a part of YEP.

Afterwards we made our way to Koeberg where we had a very informative presentation on power in SA and how it will be developed in the future. The hike was fantastic and we even saw some of the local wildlife including a buck and a brown snake.

All in all a wonderful meeting and a experience that I would happily like to repeat in the new future.

Carpe diem

Jana


Hello YEPPERS!

This blog is a little late for the YEP meeting the happened in Cape Town on the 15th of July but better late than never!

On the 15th of July we had an amazing YEP meeting, thanks to Henko! It was my first one and it inspired me so much to get out there and plan my own. We first met in Blouberg at the life saving club at Big Bay (me and my friend Bertus were a little late so missed that part). Then we went to a cafe for coffee and to watch video's and check old photo's of past Pangea expiditions. This was very inspiring for us new YEPS to see the things that we can be doing one day. After the coffee we went of to Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant for a presentation one Nuclear power. This was very eye opening. Our speaker was answered all our question very well and taught us so much more. We really had to know our stuff, there was no way that she was going to scramble. After the presentation we walked through the nature reserve to experience the low effects of radiation on the surrounding environment.

It was absolutely a stunning day. Sunshine and no wind! Henko the weather couldn't of worked out better for you. It was awesome meeting the South African YEPS and getting to know you all!

Hope there are many more meetings and soon!

Anchen


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