Tessa Stromvig is new vice president of FAMSA committee in Secunda

Tessa Stromvig stepped up as the new vice president of Families South Africa (Famsa) in Secunda in November last year.

She became involved with Famsa when her educational centre, the Steducentre supported the Stedu VI Club with a dignity shoe box drive in 2019.

Stromvig believes Famsa has a huge role to play in the community and she sees this as her chance to give back to the community.

“I enjoy helping people and I want to do even more,” said Stromvig, who is a chartered accountant by profession.

She has been working at Sasol for more than 15 years, first in internal auditing and later in business performance management.

As a result of her interest in governance, she moved into a supply chain governance role and later worked in customer relationship management.

However, she moved into governance again as the manager of the Secunda operations in health and safety.

Because development and education are important to Stromvig, she opened the Steducentre which she focuses on over weekends.

She also tutors students and trains her own children, to think critically about everything.

“We find that children struggle to read and comprehend what they have read,” said Stromvig.

“Basic foundational skills are lacking, preventing students from reaching their full potential.”

Stromvig went through a tough few years.

She lost her husband, Erik Stromvig, in a motorcycle accident on the R35 road near Bethal last year in April.

Before this loss, this family had to deal with another traumatic incident when a pitbull attacked her son, Eli (7) while he was visiting family in Newcastle in 2019.

Eli went with 16 other children and four adults and family members, to a public park in Newcastle where the dog attacked him.

The dog bit his head, neck and shoulders and ripped off both of his ears.

He got more than 500 stitches in his head.

After five hours of surgery, the doctor was able to close off all the wounds and re-attach one of his ears.

However, Eli was already singing and dancing soon after this incident and focusing on his future.

Stromvig enjoys reading and spending time with Eli and his sister, Isabella (13) if she is not tutoring or working.

She is also currently studying further and completing a postgraduate qualification in specialised accounting through Wits University.

Stromvig is involved in mentoring young unemployed people, providing them with the necessary experience and skills to get employment.

Both her kids are also involved at the Steducentre and providing support with their academic progress.

Her aim for Famsa is to be more visible and to inform people of what services this welfare organisation can offer.

Some of these services include therapeutic services to individuals, groups and families, parental support, life skills education to children and the youth, marriage preparation and enrichment programmes, pre-marital counselling programmes, HIV and Aids prevention, education and awareness, domestic violence and victim empowerment advocacy campaigns, trauma debriefing and grief counselling, burnout prevention interventions and employee assistance programmes and services.

For more information, or if you need help, contact Famsa at 017 631 1593 or send an email to famsa@secunda.co.za.

Stromvig invited people to attend Famsa’s annual general meeting on Thursday, September 8 where she will be the guest speaker.

To confirm your attendance, contact Famsa’s offices.