No trip to Puerto Rico
MBABANE – University of Eswatini (UNESWA), Luyengo Campus students have been left devastated after their Puerto Rico trip was cancelled at the 11th hour.
Four students had been promised a trip to the United States Of America (USA) Caribbean Island after being crowned national champions at an Enactus Eswatini competition.
They were to take part at the Enactus World Cup 2022, an international competition with other candidates who have also been crowned champions in their respective countries.
According to sources close to the matter, going to compete at the world stage was the ultimate reward as promised by the organisers of the competition.
It has since been brought to this publication’s attention that the quartet, who were supposed to be part of the Enactus World Cup 2022, that will be staged in about 10 days were told by a senior official of Enactus Eswatini that they could not raise the E300 000 required to sponsor the trip to the Caribbean State.
“We view this as being unfair to the students because they were promised to go and compete internationally after winning the national competition. We sought a formal explanation in writing from the official who came to inform the students verbally that they will no longer be travelling as they had failed to raise the required funds. You cannot tell a person to join a competition and promise them to win a cow and then after winning you present them with a goat,” said a source.
The source further alleged that the students were told that they would now join the Enactus World Cup 2022 virtually at a hotel the organisers will book. Noteworthy is that due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation, participants are allowed to join the competition virtually.
“This was never the arrangement in the first place. The students spent money acquiring travel documents including preparations to acquire visas, only to be told that they will no longer be travelling. They were left devastated and are finding it hard to deal with the situation,” said the source.
She highlighted that the students were national victors after winning the competition by inverting a special juice with nutrients that could help treat symptoms of COVID-19.
Puerto Rico is a Caribbean Island and unincorporated USA territory with a landscape of mountains, waterfalls and the El Yunque tropical rainforest. In San Juan, the capital and largest city, the Isla Verde area is known for its hotel strip, beach bars and casinos. Its Old San
Juan neighbourhood features colourful Spanish colonial buildings and El Morro and La Fortaleza, massive, centuries-old fortresses.
Enactus Eswatini Board of Directors Chairperson, Nedbank Managing Director (MD) Fikile Nkosi, was reached for comment and she said she was indisposed.
“I am not well, kindly reach the programme organiser, who is also a Board member. This matter must be handled well and we must not ruin the opportunities it presents for the students,” she said briefly.
Consult
Enactus Eswatini Country Director Wonderboy Khumalo, despite his name appearing at the bottom of the letter that informed the students that they would no longer travel to Puerto Rico, and having purportedly signed off the contents therein, said he was not aware of the matter and was yet to consult with the relevant people to establish what actually transpired. A signature, right at the top of where Khumalo’s name had been written, had been appended.
“I am not aware of the issue, let me make a few calls to try and establish what actually transpired,” he said.Attempts to get hold of him later proved futile as his mobile phone rang unanswered. The letter, dated October 17, 2022, which this publication is in possession of, states that Luyengo Campus has been crowned the National Champions for 2022.
In part, it reads; “This comes after a rigorous assessment process conducted by a team of business leaders from different sectors serving as judges. This stage precedes Enactus World Cup 2022 Competition where this team is expected to travel and represent Enactus Eswatini among other national champions from 34 other countries. The event shall be in Puerto Rico, San Juan from October 30 to November 3, 2022.