THE Rotary Club of Algoa Bay hosted their Vocational Awards at the Raymond Mhlaba Conference Centre on June 12, honouring four local residents for their work in and around their local communities – with all recipients unsuspecting and not told before hand that they would be receiving the honour.
Those who were honoured are Ansie van der Westhuizen, Bernadette Nel-Naude, Mbulelo Njamela and Mogan Segadavan.
Mother-of-two, Van der Westhuizen, was recognised for her work in empowering those in need, over and above her day job.
Van der Westhuizen facilitates training courses for a number of organisations, empowering local people through imparting skills to help them find legitimate jobs and earn a living.
“To be recognised is really humbling and it’s wonderful to see that you’re making a difference in others’ lives,” she said.
She has also become increasingly involved in the fund-raising efforts for the victims of the devastating Walmer township fires that left more than 70 people stranded without food or shelter last week.
Another recipient, Nel-Naude of Atlas Security, received the award for offering up her time and skills to educate and train women in self-defence in the event of assault. Nel-Naude, also a working mother, hosts self-defence classes in the evenings after work at no cost to the public.
Njamela, of Cowan High School, was awarded the Eastern Cape Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) 2018 Computer Applications Technology Teacher of the Year Award for his outstanding work as a passionate teacher, with learners achieving results well measuring up to those mostly obtainable by much better resourced schools.
He works professionally as a CAT teacher and is also committed to improving computer skills and access to learners from the township.
A well-known figure in Port Elizabeth’s Northern Areas, Segadavan has dedicated decades to uplifting the vulnerable and elderly, imparting this charitable calling to his children.
“I don’t do this for recognition or accolades,” he said.
Segadavan is also the chairperson of the Malabar Old Age Home, an organisation close to his heart, so much so that he has made multiple midnight trips to the home and is permanently ‘on call’.
He also assists other charities such as the home for abandoned and abused children in Schauderville – Inn Angel’s Hands, and the Gelvan Park Old Age Home.
The Rotary Club honoured the four for their selflessness in empowering those less fortunate than themselves, through investing their time and resources into the charitable work they do, and embodying the club’s call for ‘Service above Self’.
