Overcoming the odds to hold esteemed job

A NAMIBIAN national, who fled the country to better his life in South Africa, has defied the odds – becoming a chief boat engineer in Hout Bay.

Hosian Benyamin dropped out of school in his native country in Grade 10 in pursuit of job opportunities.

The 36-year-old was born in Walvis Bay and grew up at Oshakati, located in the north of Namibia.

When he was young, the conflicts between Namibia and South Africa prevented Benyamin from attending school. He only had the opportunity to go in 1990, when Namibia was declared independent.

After school, he worked on a fishing boat in Walvis Bay for two years.

In 2005, Benyamin left his country to look for job opportunities in South Africa.

He found a work at a construction company in Town, but only for few days a week.

This was before he found work aboard Calypso, belonging to Circe Launches, which ferries passengers from Hout Bay Harbour to the seal colony at Duiker Island.

“I started to work as a caretaker in March 2009. From there, they asked me if I know about boats and I said yes because I worked on a fishing boat in Namibia.”

The company then decided to teach him boat engineering.

“My job here is to work in the engine room. I have to watch, to protect and to inform the captain about it. I have to check every linking from the engine: the fuel, the water and the oil. We have two engines and two generators.”

He also trained two people. “I want them to be engineers because if something is wrong they must know what to do.”