Dive Master Qualification

Good day

My name is Chazanne Maritz and I am a white South African citizen. I would like to start off by telling you a bit about myself and why I have started this campaign.

I have been living in South Africa my entire life. I had a rough start in life with my father leaving myself, mother and sister when I was ten years old. We didn’t come from a wealthy family actually the complete opposite, which means life growing up was tough and dreams were just that, dreams. I love my family dearly and I know that they did the best they could. Growing up going to university was a wild pipe dream and was only for children whose parents had money, so I grew up thinking that there wasn’t much for me in terms of a future or career. It wasn’t something I thought a lot about because I knew I would never have the money to study further.

When I was 21 years old and working for a stationery company I developed a deep fascination with scuba diving as I have always had an immense love for the ocean. I started reading magazines and buying books on the subject and that is when I really became intrigued with underwater photography.

One day a close friend gave me the incredible opportunity to diving in a pool with full gear and that was it, I loved it so much and have since wanted to complete my Dive Masters course and then specialise in underwater photography.

I am now 30 years old and had to put the diving dream on hold for a while, while raising my daughter. I have worked my way up to an Operations manager of a self-storage facility, it took me five years of hard work with a limited education but I always told myself that I would not let my limited education stop me from being the best I can be and have always made myself an asset to any company I have worked for in the past.

But this is not my dream, this is not what I want to be doing for the rest of my life because my soul is dying. I am a creative person who loves nature and being in nature.

As you have probably read and seen on the news and social media that over the past few years South Africa has become a very bad place to be. We are forced from our jobs, murdered and tortured in our homes and our education system and hospitals (government run) are appalling.

I am now a mother and I want to give her more, a better life than the one I had and I suppose that is all a parent really wants for their child.

Buy completing my Diver Masters I will be given the chance to seek employment in another country which could lead to possible citizenship and a better life for both me and my daughter and the chance for me to be able to do what I love.