Martin Tobias passes on his accounting skills
"I am a chartered accountant by profession which usually comes with its own stereotype, but I do not believe that anyone should be placed in a box - not matter which job you do or where you come from."
For Martin Tobias, thinking out of the box is first priority.
Tobias is staying true to these beliefs of giving everyone a fair chance and to prove it he has joined the Partners for Possibility (PfP).
PfP is a co-action, co-learning partnership between school principals and business leaders like himself, aiming to create social cohesion through partnerships, and empowering principals to become change leaders in their schools and communities.
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Tobias, who is the owner of BVK Chartered Accountants in Mbombela, has already established a relationship with principal Lukkie Matsabe of Vulenehlo Primary in KaBokweni.
“We started in June last year and we have had three workshops and many meetings together. It is good for me to have first-hand insight into the school and to understand the challenges they face,” Tobias said.
He is working with Matsabe to ultimately benefit the learners and to make the school the centre of the community.
They have already managed to significantly reduce the amount that the school has spent on bank charges and introduced a development fund for the benefit of the school and the learners.
They have also identified that there is a very low pass rate for grade four learners and are busy with an intervention in that regard.
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“I believe in the passing on of skills and knowledge to others,” Tobias said.
It is, however, not only as part of PfP that he aims to break boundaries, but also in his personal life.
He has parachuted twice with a static line, and he and his daughter Michelle did a tandem jump in Witbank when she turned 18. He has also done many fire walks, which have taught him valuable lessons he still applies many years after having done them.
“When you have stepped onto a bed of coals, you realise how great the power of mind really is.”
He also enjoys reading self-development books and watching MasterChef and talent competitions on television with his wife.
Tobias has also been a member of Toastmasters since 2016 and has reached the level of competent communicator and competent leader.
“I am always busy trying to improve and I believe you can never stop growing.”
