A former toilet cleaner has graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Project Management and says he wants to serve as an inspiration to mense on the Cape Flats.
Collin Cloete, 46, says he wants the youth to dream bigger and look further than their current circumstances.
The father of two from Strandfontein says he scrubbed loos for a living at the SA Navy in Simon’s Town when he started there in December 1994 as an Artisan Assistant (labourer).
“I continued to remind myself that I am going to improve my education level because this was not what I wished to do for the rest of my life,” he says.
“My one sister was the only one with matric from our household and we had parents that didn’t have any formal education, which was one of the other reasons that inspired me to better my education.
“While cleaning the toilet pots every single morning and afternoon in Simon’s Town, I met my beautiful wife Valencia Cloete and showed her that her boyfriend is someone of dignity and integrity.”
Collin started studying in 1998 while employed by the Navy, and completed his matric via night school in 2001.
“After this, I completed my Trade Test at Olifantsfontein Technical Trade Test Centre in Johannesburg as a qualified artisan in the building field in 2002.
“In 2007, I completed my N3 at Westlake Technical College in Spraypainting & Panelbeating, as I wanted to open my own practice, and to teach the youth that did not complete schooling how the trade works, so that they could open their own business also.”
In 2011, the SA Navy approved his bursary application to study for a National Diploma in Public Management at CPUT and he graduated on 9 April 2014.
He worked in the Engineering Department at Groote Schuur Hospital from 2015 to 2018, where he also completed a Contract Management Course, a New Engineering Construction Management Course in 2019 at UCT, and in April this year he graduated in Project Management at CPUT.
Collin is also chairman of Friends Based Organisation (FBO), Feeding Friendzies, assisting the needy with meals and social development.
“I want to tell this story to inspire people of colour to never give up on your goals and dreams, take the things that negative people throw at you and turn this into one of your strengths, and use it as encouragement to succeed in life.”