Wetskills-Eswatini 2026 – Blog 9 –
About ten days ago, we were all strangers and we were learning each other’s names, strangers with different backgrounds and from different countries. Quickly, we transformed into a collaborative community driven by a shared purpose: Finding innovative solutions to real life water cases. Over the days, we were integrated, but most of all, pushed beyond our comfort zones to unlock potential. This was not as simple as one may think. The program is designed to simulate a high pressure work environment, challenging us to think critically, collaborate effectively did just that.
Looking back, the Wetskillls program has been more than just a training experience. It has been a wonderful platform for learning, unlearning, networking, and inspiration. A lot of work was done by the participants to address challenges and innovate key solutions. Perhaps the biggest take away from this experience is the reminder that addressing water challenges requires collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and countries. The diversity of participants in our group demonstrated how powerful collective thinking can be when people come together with shared visions.
Today, all the work we put in came to life, the late nights, the random pitches to each other, poster editing – that was finally showcased to the audience. We had been practicing for this. Just 2 minutes to deliver a pitch with the challenges, solutions and a call to action. Pitchers did exceptionally well and the teams handled the heat from the Jurys’ questions.
Although there can only be one winner, everyone is a winner. Being chosen for this competitive programme means that we had something that supervisors thought we can teach each other. We are very proud of ourselves in our respective groups. However, there can only be one winner.
Congratulations to Team JRBA!!!! You guys really showcased professionalism and innovation. You put in the work and it showed. We cannot wait for your innovation to be implemented in Eswatini and we can all say “Our colleagues did that”. As we go home, remember that we all have ONE JOB. Let us improve our communities and workplaces through shared responsibilities in water management.
A Huge thank you to Wetskills for this opportunity.
Blog by Lindelwa and Khutso
