E-BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS – Abantu baseCaribbean abangaphezu kweshumi nambili bazothola uxhaso lwezimali oluvela esikhungweni sokuthuthukisa ezokuvakasha, i-Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), ukuze bathuthukise ulwazi lwabo namakhono kwezokuvakasha/ukwamukela izihambi.
I-CTO, ngohlelo lwayo lokufunda, i-CTO Foundation, kulo nyaka ihlinzeka ngemifundaze ebiza u-US$31,000 kubafundi abayisithupha baseCaribbean abaphishekela izifundo ezingeni leMasters ezikhungweni ezehlukene. Emibili yale mifundaze isegameni lika-Audrey Palmer Hawks, owayeyinhloko yeCaribbean Tourism Association (umanduleli we-CTO), owashona ngo-1987 eneminyaka engu-44.
Oklebe, ababezinikele ekukhangiseni ezokuvakasha eCaribbean, wazalelwa eGuyana kodwa wakhulela eGrenada. Wayengungqongqoshe wezwe wezokuvakasha eGrenada, futhi engowesifazane wokuqala kanye nezwe lokuqala laseCaribbean ukuhola i-CTA.
Omunye wemifundaze osegameni lakhe uya kuGrenadian, uDiane Whyte, ophishekela i-MSc kuTourism & Hospitality Management eNyuvesi yaseWest Indies.
“Lo mfundaze uzongisiza ekufezeni iphupho lami lokuqeqeshelwa ukufundisa ezingeni eliphezulu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngabe ngikwazile ukuzenzela umathanda,” kusho uWhyte.
I-Audrey Palmer Hawks Scholarship yesibili iklonyeliswe u-Basil Jemmott, umfundi waseBarbadian futhi oneziqu ze-Master's in Tourism & Hospitality Management, kodwa e-University College Birmingham e-UK.
“Lo mfundaze unginikeze ithuba lokufeza iphupho lami leminyaka yonke ekuphishekeleni ukwenza kahle kwezemfundo. Kunginika nethuba lokuqhubeka nokulekelela ekuthuthukisweni komkhiqizo wethu wezokuvakasha ngokufundisa nokuqeqeshwa ngolwazi, amakhono nesipiliyoni engizosithola,” kusho uJemmott.
Abantu abathathu baseJamaica – u-Synethia Ennis (i-MBA ku-International Hospitality & Tourism Management e-Schiller International University), u-Zane Robinson (MSc. in Hospitality Management e-Florida International University) no-Patricia Smith (MSc. Tourism & Hospitality Management e-University of the West Indies) , kanye neTrinidadian Priya Ramsumair (MSc in Tourism Development eNyuvesi yaseSurrey), qedela uhlu lwabaphumelele imifundaze.
“Lesi sinyathelo se-CTO siyancomeka kakhulu futhi simelela ukuzibophezela kwayo okuqhubekayo ekuthuthukiseni umthamo wabasebenzi besifunda,” kusho u-Ramsumair.
"Kuyajabulisa ukwazi ukuthi kunezinhlangano laphaya ezizimisele ukuxhasa izifiso zabasebenzi abasebasha bezokwamukela izihambi abavela eCaribbean," kusho uRobinson.
“Ngemva kokuthola i-MBA yami, ngithemba ukufaka isandla kakhulu ekuthuthukisweni okusimeme komkhiqizo wezokuvakasha waseCaribbean ngokusebenzisa ukuqeqeshwa kwami kanye nombono omusha,” kwengeza u-Ennis.
USmith, naye owake wathola i-CTO Foundation Scholarship ngonyaka odlule, amehlo akhe agxile ekufundiseni ngezokuvakasha ezingeni lenyuvesi.
“Manje sengibheke ngabomvu ukusabalalisa ulwazi lwami nolwazi lwami kubafundi, abenzi bemigomo kanye nezimenenja embonini yezokuvakasha njengoba ngizama ukubamba iqhaza elibonakalayo ekuthuthukiseni ezokuvakasha kulesi sifunda,” usho kanje.
Ngaphezu kwemifundaze, i-CTO Foundation ihlinzeke ngezibonelelo zokufunda zama-US$2000 lilinye kubantu abayisikhombisa abavela e-Antigua, The Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. Abantu abathathu baseCaribbean baphinde bathola isamba semali engu-US$10,000 ukuze babambe iqhaza ekuphathweni kwezokuVakasha kwezokungcebeleka kwasogwini eCave Hill Campus yaseNyuvesi yaseWest Indies. Inani eliphelele kuma-scholarships kanye nezibonelelo yi-US $ 55,000.
I-CTO Foundation, eyasungulwa ngo-1997, ibhaliswe eNew York State njengenhlangano engenzi nzuzo, eyakhelwe ngokukhethekile izinjongo zokupha nezemfundo. Inhloso yayo enkulu ukuhlinzeka ngemifundaze kanye nezibonelelo zokufunda kubafundi nabasebenzi bezimboni abadabuka eCaribbean, abavela emazweni angamalungu e-CTO, abafisa ukwenza izifundo emkhakheni wezokuvakasha/ukungenisa izihambi nokuqeqeshwa kolimi. I-Foundation isekela abantu abakhombisa amazinga aphezulu okuphumelela ezifundweni namandla obuholi futhi abazwakalisa intshisekelo eqinile yokwenza umnikelo kwezokuvakasha zaseCaribbean.
Selokhu yasungulwa, i-CTO Foundation ihlinzeke ngemifundaze ecishe ibe ngu-50 emikhulu kanye nezibonelelo zokufunda ezingaphezu kuka-90. Abaxhasi abakhulu be-CTO Foundation bahlanganisa i-American Express, i-American Airlines, i-Interval International, i-Universal Media, izahluko ze-CTO emhlabeni wonke kanye namalungu amaningi ahlangene ne-CTO.
Ulwazi ngoHlelo lwe-CTO Scholarship kanye nohlu lwabamukeli bemifundaze kanye nezibonelelo zingatholakala ku-www.onecaribbean.org.
