NEWS
“Such an award makes me feel good
about myself ...”
the farming community and the public. This was after he was
nominated by Friedl von Maltitz, Regional Representative at Free
State Agriculture.
According to Friedl, Willem "is the first person being called
in an emergency and the first at the scene”. Willem is a stalwart
when it comes to any farm attack, medical emergency, house
fire and even when someone is trapped in a vehicle. And what's
more, he does it at no charge, with no sponsor, in his own time
and with his own equipment.
The humble Willem, who obtained his National Diploma in Fire
Fighting and Rescue in 2015, said that he started to qualify him-
self to render emergency services after school. Friedl mentioned
"It is not his work and Willem has never received any acknowl-
edgement for his work over the past decade".
“Such an award makes me feel good about myself - it can be a
thankless job at times", said the 43-year old hero from Ficksburg,
who has assisted people in numerous emergencies in the area.
But why does he do it? "I grew up on a farm and I know how
ambulances struggle to find farms without getting lost.”
He said that he formed a partnership with René Venter from
ER24, and they even started to render service to the public.
Unfortunately, René passed away recently. Co-operation is criti-
cal for Willem and he mentioned that employers now regard his
community involvement as priority number one. His normal daily
job actually comes second. It really is pioneering work for any
employer.
In his own words: “You have to give back to the community
within which you function. Where you can make a difference.”
Ordinary people such as Willem de Klerk bring hope - people
who care and who work together. Well done Willem de Klerk and
Free State Agriculture! You really are pillars in agriculture.
*Tell us about the people you honour and contact Aubrey.
[email protected] with your contribution.
SENWES SCENARIO | SUMMER 2018
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