The Vryheid Herald is also celebrating Women’s Month and has decided to feature a woman who made her mark in a primarily male-dominated career. Women’s Month is when communities celebrate the strength and resilience of women, as well as their contribution to society and country. Bongiwe Sithole is one of these unique and dedicated women who not only contributes to society, but is also a full-time mother of two children, the youngest of whom is 12 years old.
Born and bred in Emondlo, Bongiwe (45) followed her dream and qualified as a paramedic. She now works for KwaZulu Private Ambulance Services. She fell in love with the idea of being a paramedic when she was still at school. She says she always admired the paramedics who attended her school’s sporting events and that sparked her interest in this career path. After matric, Bongiwe went to Pretoria, where she studied a Basic Ambulance Attendant (BAA) course and was employed by Gauteng Ambulances. After she started working at Gauteng Ambulances, Bongiwe realised she needed more from life and continued with her studies. Due to personal reasons, she left Gauteng and joined KwaZulu Private Ambulance Services. She is currently an Ambulance Emergency Assistant as well as Shift Leader, qualified in Operational Intermediate Life Support.
The Vryheid Herald asked her some life questions and this is what she had to say…
When asked how she copes with such a high-intensity job and being a mother at the same time, Bongiwe shakes her head and laughs. “Wow, wow, wow, what a good question. Sometimes you end up not having time for your kids and you have to make some sacrifices because you work with people’s lives. It is very, very difficult… If you can remember, in the older days, this was a male-dominated career. But women have stepped up and also joined in.”
Did you ever encounter any opposition from males in this career? “Yes, sometimes it does happen because you have to understand that men always think they have more strength than women. They think you can’t do this because you are a lady and this job is very physical. But now they are getting used to us also doing the job and they seem to understand us now. They have accepted us as women in this career. “
What part of your job is your favourite? “My favourite part of the job is where it’s a primary call when I get called out to a house, whereby I am assessing my patient. I do the vitals, get the diagnosis and decide on the treatment. I absolutely love that part more than anything.”
What scenes touch you emotionally? “Being a woman and a mother, getting called out to an accident and there are children involved. Especially when a child is in a critical condition, it stays in my mind until I do a follow-up to check if the child is stable. It’s not as easy as people may think. We get emotionally hurt. When you start resuscitation, you have to hope that you are going to win, but if you don’t win, it hits you hard and your day is spoiled. Even if it’s early morning, the rest of the day is ruined. “
What characteristics do you need to be able to do this job? “You have to have a strong personality, love the job, and be patient and passionate. Not to mention dedication and being prepared for lots of hard work. Being in love with this job makes your life easier, because you’re doing something from your heart…”
Do you have any advice for women who want to follow this career path? “Unfortunately, the colleges have closed, but they can attend university. It is a very challenging career, but it is also very satisfying. It was a male-dominant career before, but now women are enjoying it as well. Let’s go out there and do it as women.”
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The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.
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