PlumbingAfrica_April2025 Plumbing Africa | Page 14

12 BUSINESS AND TRAINING

Persistence brings progress

Edited by
Tanya Olckers , submitted by BluLever Education
A 30-year-old apprentice in BluLever Education ' s Pathfinders cohort , Anitha Gamede is redefining what it means to be a plumber and challenge societal norms with resilience and determination . Currently working at Dreycor Plumbing under the guidance of Shaun Dreyer , Gamede is pursuing her dream through an Income Share Agreement-funded apprenticeship . Here is her story in her own words .
My journey into plumbing began unexpectedly about four years ago when I was working as a plant operator at a wastewater and water treatment plant . One day , a burst pipe disrupted our operations and my supervisor asked me a simple yet profound question : " How are you going to operate the plant without knowing your pipes ? A good operator knows plumbing ."
All images supplied by BluLever Education
That moment sparked my curiosity . I started joining him in the field whenever there was a burst pipe , observing and eventually participating in solving these challenges . I fell in love with the problem-solving aspect of plumbing and realised this was something I wanted to master .
When I told my father about my plans , his initial reaction was discouraging . He said , " No way , that ’ s a man ’ s job . Stick to what
Future fixer Anita Gamede
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