Local divers earn their stripes
Festivities were in the air as 15 young adults from disadvantaged communities recently completed the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence's Commercial Diving Course.
THERE will be more of ‘that sinking feeling’, but not in the true sense of the words for 15 diving students from disadvantaged communities, who graduated from the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence’s Commercial Diving Course on Friday last week.
The aspiring hopefuls were drilled for eight months on intensive swimming, first aid, computer literacy as well as fitness and diving courses in the Western Cape before qualifying. For most, it was the first time they had travelled outside of their province, let alone dove into the mysterious oceanic abyss.
According to Fanelesibonge Mngoma, the group was also required, during their diving expeditions, to clean vessels, break a chain with a chisel and chainsaw, and conduct search and rescue operations.
One of the hardest things for fellow student, Freedom Masinga, was the cold Cape Town water. “We all thought it was going to be a huge adjustment to learn how to dive, but actually getting used to the cold water was the hardest,” he said.
When asked about earning his diving stripes, Swelihle Ndlovu said, “It means the world to us that someone is taking a chance on us and giving us the opportunity to better our lives. It makes me unbelievably happy,” he said. This initiative was made possible with the support of eThekwini and KwaDukuza municipalities, as well as the iThwelenye Development Initiative.
