Career in water: Olivia's rise from street sweeper to manager

Abstract

Olivia Radebe’s brief career reads like a fairy tale. Recently promoted to Manager: Environmental Projects at Pikitup, Olivia’s story is an inspiration to many young people struggling to get their careers off the ground. Like many other youngsters, Olivia finished high school with great ambitions. She wanted to become a medical doctor, but due to circumstance was unable to register for the degree. Instead she enrolled at Pretoria T echnikon where she began a Diploma in Environmental Engineering. By her own admission this was an unusual choice for a girl from Dobsonville, but as she says that is what was available at the time and she was determined to go to tertiary school. As testament to her commitment to better herself, Olivia also interned in an Experiential Training programme at Sasol. In 1999 she was forced to drop out of school and the Sasol programme. No one in her family was working and she could no longer afford her school fees. She went looking for employment. Again circumstance played a hand.

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