Welding talent in Diepsloot
DIEPSLOOT - A Diepsloot entrepreneur is giving back to his community by teaching welding to the youth of Diepsloot.
Philemon Mulovhedzi said that he was originally from Limpopo but came to Diepsloot in 1998 looking for greener pastures. He began work as a security guard, but was soon asked by one of his bosses to take up the position of manager at a welding centre.
“I used to often talk to my boss about sport and current affairs, and we soon agreed that the job I was doing was not suitable for me, so he asked me to manage the welding centre,” Mulovhedzi said.
He explained that he started to become interested in the beautiful things the welders were making, and asked them to teach him the skill during their breaks.
Soon Mulovhedzi was running a thriving business making wrought iron chandeliers, furniture and garden features for customers as far afield as Pretoria. In 2011 he was approached by a welfare organisation looking to start a welding training programme in Diepsloot.
“I was taken by the vision that teaching the skill of welding could reduce the high rate of crime in Diepsloot,” he said.
Mulovhedzi said that when the programme first started, they had a group of only males because it was believed that only men would be able to weld. However he allowed two women onto the programme the next year and was surprised when one of them became his best welder.
In the most recent group, four out of the 12 students are female. Mulovhedzi’s goal is for the welding training centre to become a micro-enterprise which the greater Fourways community can approach for any welding work.
Salman Khan of the Morningside Rotary, which does extensive community outreach work in Diepsloot is helping Mulovhedzi to realise this dream.
“We encourage individuals in the community, as well as housing [developers] to contact the centre should they ever need welding work done or want to buy some of the students’ beautiful creations,” Khan said.
“We can’t just hand over food parcels in the Diepsloot community. By teaching skills and supporting enterprise we are reducing poverty and thereby reducing crime.”
Details: 082 691 6048.
