Mpho Makhaya joined the cadets in grade 9, she dreamed of being a firefighter; over the years, she has worked her way towards her goal thanks to EMS.
Johannesburg, South Africa (16 November 2022) – Mpho Makhaya joined the cadets in high school after a lady at church shared the opportunity with her. She spent every Saturday at the fire station, learning about saving lives. The opportunity drove her dreams and made her wish to be a firefighter someday, that day is getting closer.
At the age of 13, she learned the basics of first aid and firefighting from the crew at the Florida Fire Station; today she’s an EMS Public Information and Education Relations (PIER) intern.
“I remember the first thing I saw were kids being drilled. It’s like I was introduced to a semi-military world. I later understood that they were training us to become future firefighters,” Mpho says.
The cadet programme was founded by Joceline Flank and it played a major role in Mpho’s life throughout high school. Mpho explained that it pushed her to be persistent in her goals and to perfect her discipline. She learned how to work hard, something she took with her when she left school.
Mpho credits the programme as a safe space for the youth.
“It saved me and other kids from drugs and teenage pregnancies because it was a safe space for us,”
“I’m here because of that EMS cadet programme. Everything I learned in the cadet programme has made me who I am today,”
When she completed high school, there wasn’t funding for her to further her studies but a call from the EMS gave her an opportunity to follow her dream of being a firefighter someday. She was enrolled in the firefighter 1 and hazmat awareness courses.
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“All I knew was that I was already a future firefighter,”
A few years later, Mpho found herself at a standstill. EMS called again, this time with an opportunity to apply for a study bursary. She applied and was successful. Mpho enrolled in a National Diploma in Fire Technology at the Tshwane University of Technology which she went on to complete in 2018. Over the years, she completed more courses and was finally offered a position as an intern.
“I would love to change people’s lives the same way Mr Flank changed mine. Whatever I do in life, I hope it impacts people,”
“Of all the riches in the world, I think I’m rich with love and happiness.”
She is almost there, but we have faith she will be the firefighter she dreams of being.
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