Volunteers will welcome visitors
By Tabisa Mntengwana
10 March 2010
VISITORS to Buffalo City during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ are assured of a warm welcome, thanks to a customer care volunteer programme introduced by the municipality.
More than 400 youngsters from Mdantsane, King William’s Town and East London were introduced to basic customer care and given an exercise about the City. Training was held on 2 and 4 March at Braelyn Hall in East London, NU 7 Community Hall in Mdantsane, and at War Memorial Hall in King William’s Town.
In all, 10 unemployed youngsters who have matric certificates were selected from each ward in Buffalo City to take part in the training programme. Trainees had to be Buffalo City residents, be fluent in English and be between 18 and 34 years old, according to the municipality’s 2010 project manager, Roy Young.
“Buffalo City targeted youngsters who do not have employment to equip them with skills that will be useful during the World Cup,” he said.
In November 2009, Buffalo City 2010 issued application forms for youngsters to volunteer their time during the football tournament, which runs from 11 June to 11 July this year.
Young said the volunteers would be based in and around Buffalo City during the tournament as the city was expecting tourists. “This is a process separate from the official FIFA volunteer programme.”
Certificates will be issued to those who have completed the two-day training programme, on 12 March.
Lulama Sidzumo, a volunteer from ward 39 in Zwelitsha, described this opportunity as one that would open doors for him and other volunteers. “From this training alone I have learned so much that I didn’t know about my city, and I can’t wait to actually use all that I’ve learned,” he said.
The volunteers learned about the philosophy of volunteerism, what was expected from Buffalo City volunteers and the benefits of volunteering.
Xola Sidinile, from SethuMahle Trading Enterprise, the company hired by Buffalo City to conduct the training, said: “Volunteerism improves the quality of life, support for local non-profit [organisations] and helps the learning of new skills.”
Speaking on basic customer care, Sidinile said: “Customer care involves the maintenance of relationships between any business and its customers.”
It integrated acquiring new customers via a marketing drive and enhancing customer satisfaction and retaining the customer.
As part of the festivities around the football tournament and legacy projects, Buffalo City has a jam-packed line-up, including the Buffalo City Municipality Challenge Cup from 19 to 22 March and the launch of the Women’s Football Academy in Zwelitsha and Amalinda in May.
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