Banele has a burning passion
This West Ridge High School learner has had his mind set on becoming a firefighter from the tender age of six.
Pursuing a career in the fire protection services is noble and commendable, but it is certainly not to be taken lightly. For local 16-year-old Banele Shongwe, a career in this field is everything but child’s play.
This West Ridge High School learner has had his mind set on becoming a firefighter from the tender age of six.
It all started a few years ago when his firefighter uncle, Ntuthuko Mabuza, took his fire gear home to be washed. He went out to run some errands and when he returned home, he couldn’t find little Banele, who was visiting him at the time.
“We looked for him everywhere only to find him drowning inside my fire gear. He asked if he could keep my gear on for the whole day and that’s when I realised that we got an upcoming hero,” Ntuthuko said.
For years Banele refused to give up on his dream and eventually enrolled as a fire cadet at the SAFYDA (Southern African Firefighters & Youth Development Association) in 2018.
SAFYDA is a non-profit, non-political, non-aligned voluntary organisation committed to a foundation of excellence for the youth of Southern Africa. The programme aims to hone skills within the youth pertaining to the fire protection services field. It also provides on-going education, training and therapeutic support through strategic partnerships.
“I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is being a fireman. And it comes from the fact that I’m willing to be one. As a cadet I do not rise to the level of my expectations, I fall to the level of my training,” he said.
This is combined with his passion for helping his school and community through being both a SERT (School Emergency Response Team) and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) standby cadet.
As a SERT cadet, his duties include assisting in emergencies at school, such as when a learner falls ill. As a CERT cadet, he assists by attending vehicle collisions within his neighbourhood. According to this eager firefighter, that’s when he uses his skills and resources provided by the programme.
“I always take pride in what I do and make sure everyone around me succeeds. As a youth leader I play a huge role in my community. I consider myself optimistic, inspiring, outgoing, and expressive. I am driven by a desire to settle conflicts and create harmony,” Banele said.
“I always make sure everyone around me is doing great things which makes me a leader amongst them. I want to be a fireman because I have passion for helping people who need the resources when they are in danger.”
His dream is to become a fire chief or instructor to assist the youth in building their future from a young age, just as his mentors and officers encouraged him.
“I’d like to thank my officer Mr Flank, Mr Esau, Mr Bereng, Mr Ntonktwane, Ma’am Doreen and other leaders of the Cadet Programme,” he said.
According to City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Divisional Chief, Joselin Flank the SAFYDA programme has been suspended in the meantime due to Covid-19.
“Even though we’re not sure when we will be able to continue with the programme, I can say now that it was a great privilege to have had students such as Banele. It was an honour to be able to give back the knowledge and experience I have obtained throughout the years. It’s so special to be able to see the new generations committing to something like this and seeing them bloom in the process,” Joselin concluded.
