Umcimi-mlilo oselula uVuyiseka Arendse (26) yinxalenye yeqela i-Crew Ju-liet, eliliqela labacimi-mlilo basendle bokuqala abanga-manina. Amandla kunye nokuzimisela kwakhe  ekuzenzeleni igama  kwihlabathi labacimi-mli-lo elilawulwa ngamadoda kukhuthaze onke amani-na. U-Arendse ukhulele kwidolophana encinci  yaseNtshona Koloni iBhobhofolo (Beaufort West). Ukugqiba kwakhe uku-funda amabanga aphantsi, ukhe wazama ukufunda kwikholeji ese-Oudtshoorn, kodwa wagqiba kwelokuba makabuyele ekhaya ukuze akwazi ukunceda usapho lwakhe. Wasebenza ithutyana kwivenkile enkulu ethengisa uku-tya, kodwa umdla wakhe wokuba ngumcimi-mlilo wakhula ngamandla.
“Ndabona abacimi-mlilo kwisinxibo sabo nezigadla ezibomvu ezinkulu. Ndaba nomdla kwangoko, ndanqwenela ukufumana ulwazi oluthe vetshe,” utsho u-Arendse.U-Arendse ngomnye wa-bathi bathweswa izidanga kwinkqubo karhulumente waseNtshona Koloni yo-phuhliso lolutsha eyi-Chrysalis Academy ngowama-2016. Emva kwale nkqubo, uye wasebenza kwisikhululo sokucima umlilo sase-Bhobhofolo, esamkela i-R1 900 kuphela ngenyanga. Kodwa emva koko, wafumana ithuba elalibonelelwa ziiNkonzo zokusiNgqongileyo ze-NCC (i-NCC Environmental Services) kulo nyaka uphelileyo.“Ndandikwi-Chrystal  Academy njengomququzeleli apho i-NCC yeza kuthetha nabafundi malunga nethuba lokufaka isicelo sokufu-mana uqeqesho lweqela labacimi-mlilo basendle bokuqala abangamanina. Nangona ndandingenguye omnye wabafundi, ndaba nomdla kakhulu nam ndaza ndafaka isicelo sokuqeqeshwa, ndaza ndamkelwa,” utsho u-Arendse. U-Arendse waya kufumana uqeqesho, olwaludibanisa imiba yenkcazo eyingcingane (theory) kunye neyokwenziwa komsebenzi (practical) wocimo-mlilo.“Ndafunda lukhulu.  Okokuqala, ndandingayazi ukuba kukho abacimi-mlilo abajongene nomsebenzi wokucima imililo yedobo. Ngaphambili phaya  ndandicinga ukuba base-benza ezidolophini kuphela becima imililo kwizakhiwo kuphela,” utshilo. U-Arendse wongeza ukuba yayiyimvakalelo engummangaliso ukuphumelela uqeqesho uze ube yinxale-nye yeqela labacimi-mlilo bokuqala abangamanina abalolu hlobo.“Ndaziva ndinemincili kakhulu, ingakumbi xa ndixelela abantu ukuba ndifuna ukuba ngumcimi-mlilo, uninzi lwabo lwalusithi asoze ndikwazi kuba ndilinina kwaye asoze ndikwazi uku-melana nawo lo msebenzi. Oko kwandityhalela ekubeni ndibabonise ukuba ndingakwazi, oko ndingakwenzeli nje mna kuphela kodwa ndikwenzela onke amanina aseMzantsi Afrika.”U-Arendse uthi ukucima kwakhe owona mlilo mkhulu okokuqala e-Noordhoek kwakungumceli-mngeni kodwa amava amfundisa kakhulu. “Ndandisebenza okokuqala iiyure ezingama-24 ezipheleleyo kwaye ikokokuqala ukuba sisebenze nabo bonke abanye abacimi-mlilo abangamadoda. Wawudina kwaye kushushu kakhulu kwisinxibo sethu sokuzikhu-sela kodwa sawugqiba umsebenzi kwaye imvakalelo emva koko yayingumvuzo omkhulu kakhulu.”U-Arendse ukhuthaza amanina aseMzantsi Afrika ukuba angakhe alinge azidelele.“Musa ukuxelelwa ngabantu ukuba yintoni onokuyenza nongenakuyenza.”  v* Ukukhangela amathuba athe vetshe abonelelwa ziiNkonzo zokusiNgqongileyo zeNCC, landela ikhasi labo likaFacebook . Unakho nokubatsalela kwiinombolo zomnxeba ezizezi: 021 702 2884 (eKapa), 010 007 5272 (eGauteng), 031 003 2964 (KwaZulu-Natal) okanye 041 101 1033 (eMpuma Koloni). Umcimi-mlilo oselula uVuyiseka Arendse uyinxalenye yeqela labacimi-mlilo bokuqala abangamanina. “Women of South Africa, be proud of what you  have achieved.”Photo: Alistair Burt NCC Environmental Services