GEORGE NEWS - From a path full of seemingly endless turmoil and alcohol addiction, heading for complete destruction, Geraldine Joy Wolmarans has made an about turn to clean up her life, choosing to grow towards becoming whole again. And as if to mimic what is happening in her inner being, she has landed a job as a refuse collector at the George Cleansing Department.
Every weekday, she dons her neatly ironed overall and joins her team mates on their designated truck. Then off they go, up and down the streets of George, picking up rubbish, playing a vital role in keeping the city clean. It’s hard work and long hours.
But Wolmarans has set her sights on another career path that she is slowly but surely working towards. She is going into her second year of studies for a three-year diploma in human resources. In addition, she has just published her first book, From trauma to triumph, in which she gives a testimony of how it came about that she was able to turn away from the ruinous path she was on. The book also touches on topics of Christian deliverance and healing.
“The book is part of my ministry to share what I learned and received with others,” says Wolmarans.
She was born in Port Elizabeth. Her late father was a deacon in the church and their family had been grounded in Christian values. When he left them in 1994, it was such a traumatic experience for Wolmarans, then in matric, that she began drinking to cope. “At first, it numbed the ache. Then it became the only way I knew how to silence the chaos inside me,” she writes.
She sank further into absolute despair after being gang-raped in 2000. She abandoned her daugther and started moving from city to city.
“I got married, hoping that it might anchor me and I sought deliverance from ministers, but nothing helped. It was only after my father died in 2006 that I reached breaking point. It turned into a complete surrender to God and from then on I have been on a path of ongoing healing, forgiveness and deliverance, which I now share with other women on a WhatsApp group that I started. I also have a part-time ministry.”
When she started rebuilding her life, she needed a job and was happy to be appointed part-time as a litter picker for the municipality through the EPWP programme.
With her having an admin qualification that she had obtained many years ago, she also did some office work from time to time.
When a permanent position for a refuse collector became available, she jumped at the opportunity. This is giving her a stable income. She doesn’t have to stand back for her male colleagues. “I’m a keen runner and am fit and strong, so I passed the fitness test that is required for the work.”
The income has enabled her to pay off debt she had accumulated. “Through my healing journey, God has taught me about responsibility, not only on a spiritual level, but also in everyday life. I’ve been through a debt review process and have paid off all my debt.
"To earn extra money, I sell a range of health products, so I juggle a lot of things, but I’m managing it through God’s grace.”
People who would like to obtain a copy of Wolmarans’ book, may contact her on 073 012 8401.
The publisher is Incwadi Books.
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