01 Jun From Scholarship to Safari: Celebrating Alycia Maila
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Nelson Mandela once said, “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”
We think he may well have had someone like Alycia Maila in mind.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]
We are absolutely thrilled to introduce Alycia as one of the newest members of the Seolo Africa family, joining our team in a Marketing Admin role.
Alycia has just completed her Honours degree in Heritage and Cultural Tourism at the University of Pretoria; a postgraduate qualification in a field that sits at the very heart of what we do every day. We couldn’t be more proud, and we couldn’t be more excited about the perspective and passion she brings with her!
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”16186″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1780309818314{margin-top: 30px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;}” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Alycia’s academic journey was made possible in large part through the support of the Sumbandila Scholarship Trust, one of the most remarkable organisations we have the privilege of partnering with. Sumbandila identifies extraordinary young people from rural Limpopo and offers them a world-class education alongside genuine mentorship. Not a hand-out, but a hand-up. They protect the dignity of every student they support, and the results speak for themselves: 132 graduates, 145 students currently enrolled at university, and 53 pursuing postgraduate studies.
Alycia is one of those 53. And now she’s ours.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]In her own words:
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]This is precisely why our partnership with Sumbandila matters so deeply to us. We are passionate about conservation and education in equal measure but we simply aren’t educators ourselves. Sumbandila fills that gap with an efficiency, sensitivity, and integrity that we deeply admire. And moments like this, watching a young woman grow from scholarship recipient to Honours graduate to colleague, remind us exactly why we invested in this partnership all those years ago.I never saw Sumbandila Scholarship Trust as just an organisation to the students that join. Rather it became an extension of the family I already had. I will tell you this, Sumbandila opened doors of opportunities for me and encouraged me to dream far bigger than I thought possible. And as for my journey of studying and getting to where I am. It truly took a village and Sumbandila and Seolo were a part of that. I will always be grateful.
Alycia, welcome to the team. You are living proof that with the right support, the right determination, and the right heart, there are no limits to how far you can go.
We cannot wait to see what comes next!
- To learn more about the Sumbandila Scholarship Trust, click here.
- To dive deeper into their scholars’ stories, click here.
- To find our how you can support their work, click here.
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