Young women encouraged to become firefighters
Martin Bolton, WoF general manager said he believed young women from Mpumalanga could play a crucial role in fighting unneccessary veld and forest fires.
The Working on Fire (WoF) is calling young women in the province to join the organisation.
Martin Bolton, WoF general manager said he believed young women from Mpumalanga could play a crucial role in fighting unneccessary veld and forest fires.
He said the organisation had already employed 112 female firefighters across the region.
Two of them were Smangele Mawelele (20) and Phindile Mgibe (26) of Mlambongwane in Umjindi.
Mawelele joined in May this year. She said she believed that there were no jobs specifically designated for men only. “Every day when I see myself surrounded by mountains and forestry, I feel encouraged and proud. I come from a poor background and my parents didn’t have money to pay for my studies,” she said.
She felt it would be better to fight fire than to sit at home. Mgibe mentioned that the job offered to her by WoF saved her from becoming a prostitute.
“We are a family of four, our parents passed away and there was no one to provide for us. I did not want to get into relationships for the sake of alleviating poverty.
“Now I am able to bring food to the table for my family and I encourage other young women to attend the organisation’s recruitment events,” she concluded.
