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World Jersey Cattle Bureau Youth Travel Scholarship Report - March 2006
The WJCB Youth Travel Scholarship Programme is for young people between the age of 18 and 26, and is a wonderful
opportunity for young people from around the World to visit a country of their choice and learn more knowledge about
Jersey cattle in that particular country.
The Programme is a hosted programme and participants live as family and stays are normally for six months. Some young
people prefer to stay a few weeks or months on one particular farm while others like to move around with shorter stays
in one place. At the moment all participants are given a £400 grant from the Lord Jersey Research Trust which now
incorporates monies received from the Sir James Knott Trust Fund provided they take part for a minimum of three months.
This money is towards their travel to a country and insurance for travel and staying on farms. All participants must be
fully insured.
During the early 2005, Sergio Salazar from Costa Rica returned home after a visit to New Zealand, and thanked everyone
for making his visit possible and urged other young people to take part in this great experience. Jo Stubbs from the UK
returned back from New Zealand, and Jo quotes in her report 'I really did enjoy my three month stay in New Zealand and
I would like to thank all of the host families who I stayed with. I enjoyed helping prepare cattle and attending your
shows as this was my priority on the trip. I learnt new things all the time off each family and I'd like to think my
knowledge of showing may have helped them too. I managed to enjoy lots of activities on my travels, including
swimming with dolphins, climbing Mount Kakepuku and visiting some of your many lakes. I arrived home having a
good idea about milking cows which my dad was very surprised about - so thank you for that opportunity! If anyone
is looking into taking part in the Programme like me, I strongly recommend it. I had a wonderful experience.
Thank you to everyone again'
In April 2005, Fernando Delgade from Colombia visited South Africa and again learnt much about the keeping of Jerseys in
this country as well as learning a new language. Fernando had worked with Jersey Cattle for many years as his family
owned Hacienda Extremadura Jersey Farm which is nationally and internationally recognised for the quality of the
livestock, and Fernando's goals were to be a successful jersey breeder to maintain the prestige obtained and the
profitability generated. Fernando was the first young person to take part in the Programme from Columbia.
Most of the six months that Fernando was in South Africa he was hosted by Etienne and Leenkie Rouseau. Etienne himself
took part in the Programme in 1990 when he visited the UK. Miguel Segura from Costa Rica has just returned home from New Zealand, and thanks go to Don Shaw for organising this
visit.
In the UK in July 2005 we were pleased to welcome Rebekah McCaul from Australia who completed her programme at the end of
October and returned home at the end of November; and Ashley Mayer from America who completed her stay mid December.
Rebekah comes from a farm in the Fleurieu Peninsular, South Australia, and was very interested in value adding to the
raw milk product as all their milk produced on the family farm is processed by their own factory - a family concern with
three generations of cheesemaking knowledge. Rebekah whilst in the UK has had the opportunity to stay on many farms and
visited many processing plants, as well as the Royal Show, Great Yorkshire Show, Dairy Event, South West Dairy Event
and the Young People's All Breeds Calf Weekend. Rebekah has travelled from Yorkshire to Scotland to Devon, Wales and
Jersey Island - and in her own words says she is the luckiest girl in the world. Ashley comes from Taneytown, Pennsylvania, USA, and is responsible for her family's Jersey Cows. Ashley has visited
Shropshire, East Anglia, Cumbria as well as going to the Dairy Event and the Young People's All Breeds Calf Weekend,
and her visit finished with a stay on Jersey Island before returning home for Christmas.
Very many thanks to all the families who have so kindly hosted these two popular young ladies and taken them into their
homes. All the participants mentioned in this Report have been wonderful ambassadors for their respective countries in
the Jersey World. Just out of interest, Selma Fontes from Brazil took part in 1998 and a romance at that time blossomed in the UK followed by the wedding and congratulations to the couple on their first young son.
Also congratulations to Ian Wadman a past participant on his wedding in October.
The Programme is a wonderful and exciting opportunity for young people to partake in what the Programme offers:- More
knowledge of the Jersey Breed - Learning experience, worth a lot - Friendships life long - Possibility of learning
another language - Seeing a country and its culture.
Details from Anne Corner, WJCB Youth Scholarship Co-ordinator. My email address until March
cornersa@worldonline.co.za or fax/tel 0027 28514 3958 or alternatively write to me at Jersey Manor Farm, Somerton,
Oxfordshire, 0X25 6LW and it will be forwarded to me while I am away. From end of March tel. 44 (0)1869 345 414 or
fax 44 (0)1869 345 142 email robanne.corner@btinternet.com
It is up to you - don't miss this great Jersey learning experience in a country of your choice.
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