Liesel hails from Riversdale in the Western Cape, and has been working in Louw Willemse’s team doing restoration work for the GCBR since 2016. The focus of this teams’ work is the removal of invasive alien plants like wattle from strategically important areas where they pose a threat to water security, increased fire risk and loss of biodiversity.
When the opportunity arose, Liesel seized the moment to undergo chainsaw operator training and went on to become the first female chainsaw operator within our program. She is very proud of what she has achieved, the comradery among within her team and the good work that they deliver. She says that she is also very grateful to Louw and the team for their support and belief in her.
We value Liesel’s contribution and admire her willingness to step up to learn, grow and serve as an example to other women that there are no limits or rules to what you can do when you set your mind to it, and put your heart in it.
Liesel demonstrates that she also has a gift for words with the below tribute poem to Louw and her team about this journey.
“Journey met oom Louw…
2016 begin ek te werk by oom Louw,
min het ek geweet ons gaan lank saam `n toekoms bou,
op voetsoolvlak en sonder kennis het ek begin,
dit het my as vrou min gespin,
elke dag het ek iets geleer,
ek het geweet as ek aan iets wil kom moet niks my keer,
kursusse is aangebied,
maar het gedink iets is nog daar wat korter skiet,
chainsaw opleiding het gekom,
ek het geweet dit val binne my kolom,
die challenge het ek as vrou gevat,
omdat ek `n vrou is moet ek oorslaan na `n ander rat,
vandag is ek `n opgeleide kragsaag operateur,
nou kan challenges maar kom want niks sal my keer.
Dankie aan oom L, hy het my begestaan en vertrou asook my span waarmee ek saam werk, sonder hulle ondersteuning sou niks moontlik gewees het nie, ons is `n gedigte span wat saam staan as een, all take wat ons aanpak, pak ons aan met liefde en met trots.
Baie dankie aan die GCBR, my werk nog lank nie by julle klaar.”
-Liesel Uithaler