I AM DETERMINED TO BE AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN!

The misconception that construction is a men’s industry has done nothing to intimidate Melissa Bezuidenhout. She believes she has found her place in the world and she plans to work her way to the top.

Melissa Bezuidenhout (28) is no stranger to life’s trials and tribulations. The single mother of three young children says she is hoping that a career will help her escape some of the experiences she has lived through. “Life is very tough in this part of town. Crime is a constant reality and drugs are everywhere. I didn’t escape the life of drugs, for years I was on that road and only recently have I committed to living a different kind of life,” she admits. For Melissa, the thing that makes her eager to make a success of her Motheo Academy learnership is the desire for a future that has a sense of hope. “I know what it is like to not have hope and I know what it is like to eventually stop dreaming because life seems so depressing. I don’t want that for my children and I no longer want that for myself.” Melissa was one of seven women that made up the group of 20 that were awarded the learnership. She is the only young woman one left. “I think as a group we didn’t always take this learnership seriously,” Melissa says. “Even though we saw it as an opportunity, we didn’t know how to behave so that became a problem. Many people dropped out because they didn’t have the discipline to see it through. I also had moments when I missed days at a time but thankfully I was able to bring myself onto the right track. As girls, we also have other pressures like boyfriends and children that make it easy to drop out. I think the girls who dropped out regret it.” Now at the end of her learnership, Melissa says the lessons she learnt go beyond the practical aspects of construction. “Being given this experience has taught me that I am not easily intimidated; I think I had forgotten that about myself. I also learnt that I can’t allow pain to make me shy away from new experiences. I never allowed anyone here at work to treat me like a girl; I am here to work and refused to let anyone use my gender against me. My work speaks for itself and I look forward to learning even more,” she adds. Armed with determination, hope and the skills that were imparted at the Motheo Academy, Melissa believes that the future is exciting. “I plan to work in the industry and eventually be able to get a home for me and my kids. Completing my learnership has shown me that I can do anything I focus on and I plan to focus on my life – I am willing to fight for that.”