(l-r) Echoes Boutique Hotel waiter Leo Tran with Frank Kuteesa and Venerandah Nakato of Uganda.
By Ellen Hill for Escarpment Group Photos: David Hill
Members of an African children’s choir experienced the diversity of the Aussie workforce during their visit to the Blue Mountains last week.
(l-r) Frank Kuteesa and Venerandah Nakato from Uganda with Lilianfels restaurant manager Jess Fisher in the Orangery dining venue.
As well as enchanting audiences throughout the mountains and Emu Plains with vibrant singing and drumming performances, Ubuntu troupe members spent last Friday, May 20, “job shadowing’’ (observing) at Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle’s electorate office at Springwood, Blue Mountains City Council, Nepean Hospital, RKE Engineering at Emu Plains, Katoomba Neighbourhood Centre, Rare Birds women’s fashion shop at Wentworth Falls and Selwood House Vet Hospital, Hazelbrook.
Blue Mountains tour organiser Brendan O’Reilly said the young men and women of Ubuntu were African Children’s Choir graduates with diverse career aspirations and were thankful for the opportunity to spend time in Australian workplaces learning about workplace culture and practices.
(l-r) Joash Kiraqqa and Hydro Pavilion supervisor Jake Lewer.
They’re about to study to become doctors, engineers, diplomats, designers – one wants to be a flight attendant,’’ he said.Blue Mountains employers have made a great contribution to their African guests as they work hard to expand their horizons and free themselves and their families from poverty.’’
Four young people spent the day at Escarpment Group luxury hotels Lilianfels Resort & Spa and Echoes Boutique Hotel at Katoomba, and in the Wintergarden Restaurant and providores pavilion at the Hydro Majestic Hotel at Medlow Bath before performing in a concert at Springwood High School that evening.
(l-r) Food & beverage manager Phu Le and Amos Emenyu in the Hydro Pavilion.
Escarpment Group general manager Ralf Bruegger said: “We welcome guests from around the world every day at our hotels so it was easy for us to host the young people from Ubuntu. We hope our new friends from Africa take home many good memories of their time in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. With beautiful warm smiles and excellent etiquette, I’m sure they would be well suited to careers in the tourism and hospitality industry.’’
The African Children’s Choir uses money raised from concert tours organised by charity Kwaya Australia and donations to educate children in poverty in Uganda, Kenya and elsewhere from primary school to university. Such concerts in the Blue Mountains have raised tens of thousands of dollars for education in Africa in recent years.
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(l-r) Escarpment Group training & business development co-ordinator Meagan Iervasi, Venerandah Nakato, Frank Kuteesa and Lilianfels restaurant manager dance on the lawns at Echoes.