Wassup volunteer has opportunity to start his own small business
DIEPSLOOT– Obed Kekae said he joined Wassup Diepsloot co-operative in 2013 after he lost his job.
A former volunteer, who is now a qualified plumber and owner of a plumbing company, has encouraged unemployed youth in Diepsloot to consider volunteer work to get skills and work experience.
For seven years, Obed Kekae worked as a volunteer for Wassup Diepsloot, a non-profit organisation formed by community members to repair toilets, drains and taps in the township free of charge.
Kekae recently obtained his formal plumbing trade certificate after he enrolled at the Institute of Plumbing South Africa. “My journey has not been an easy one. I started volunteering at Wassup Diepsloot co-operative in 2013 after I lost my job. I realised that sitting at home the whole day was not profitable,” he explained.
“I decided to join the organisation though I knew nothing about plumbing, fixing taps or unblocking drains.
Kekae continued, “As time went by, I developed an interest to learn more about plumbing. One day while working with my colleagues, I met a professor in architecture from Australia who offered to help us get formal training in plumbing. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands because I realised that I can make a living with formal plumbing skills.”
He said his first training opportunity at a Johannesburg plumbing institution did not materialise. “Last year I was given another opportunity to go and do my training in one of the best plumbing institutions in Kempton Park. I managed to complete the trade [qualification] in record time under difficult Covid-19 regulations.”
Kekae concluded, “Today I am a fully qualified plumber and I have recently registered my own company. I want to give back to the community by teaching local youth that is interested in plumbing.”
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