Post: The forestry sector offers real careers for girls

September 2, 2024

The forestry sector offers real careers for girls

Nomvelo Nzuza, a Grade 12 student at Phindizwe High School in rural KwaZulu-Natal, is inspired by a video she watched at school about a young woman who overcame home and school challenges to establish her own business in the forestry industry.

“Iam really motivated by her journey”, says Nzuza. The video is part of a series produced by She is Forestry, a project set up by Forestry South Africa (FSA) and the Forest Sector Charter Council (FSCC).

She is Forestry is a non-profit organisation celebrating and supporting women in the forest sector and encouraging girls to seek a career in forestry.

Nomvelo’s school is one of five supported in the forestry-focused provinces of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern and Western Capes.

“There is an increasing number of girls, especially in rural communities, who are dropping out of school before reaching matric because they see childcare grants as their only way out of their circumstances”, says Makhosazana Mavimbela, executive director of the FSCC.

“This issue is exacerbated by period poverty, where girls are not able to afford female hygiene products, resulting in high absenteeism”.

The videos were born out of conversations with principals at the five schools who highlighted a need for female role models and career advice to solve the high dropout rates among female learners. The videos feature various forestry careers and women role models. They are a lasting and reusable resource instead of a one-off career day.

“We truly believe that this project epitomises the words of Nelson Mandela: ‘Sometimes, it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom'”, says Mavimbela

Founded five years ago, She is Forestry has grown beyond expectations. It started with a webinar in 2020 and has grown into a change-maker actively creating a positive impact through various platforms.

“The forestry sector is rich with incredible role models and excellent career opportunities for women, especially those living in rural areas where forestry is prevalent,” says Mavimbela. “The challenge was bringing them to life, which is why I handed over the baton to FSA’s Katy Johnson.”

Johnson comments: “While reading Michelle Obama’s book The Light We Carry, I was struck by the question ‘How can we dream about what we cannot see?’ This mirrors rural schoolgirls’ challenges of a future of marriage, childcare grants amid high unemployment”.

She is Forestry hopes to contribute to socio-economic change by presenting possible alternative career pathways for rural girls. It also raises funds to purchase toilet paper, printer paper, and feminine hygiene products, which are in dire short supply at rural schools.”

The donations were well received, but the reaction to the videos made me smile and brought tears to my eyes,” comments Mavimbela. Johnson says the organisation is aware that it cannot help everyone but instead focuses on creating lasting change. “If we can inspire one girl to stay in school, help one child pass her maths exam, prevent one girl from experiencing the indignity of period poverty, then we would have achieved our objectives”.

Thulani Ndlovu, principal of Phindizwe High, is grateful for the support. He says absenteeism linked to period poverty at his school is down since the donation of menstrual cups by She is Forestry in 2022, while calculators helped to push pass rates from 30% up to 70%. “We hope these videos keep girls in the classroom and show them that there are careers for them. They can see women like them who have faced similar challenges but are now flourishing within the forestry sector”, says Johnson.