Thanda realises her dream
Domestic worker completes her bachelor of education degree and hopes to inspire the youth of South Africa.
AT 26, Thanda Gwija, made the fateful decision to go back to school to complete her matric. She endured strange stares and people continually questioning why she had come back to school. But nothing could deter the resolve of the Effingham Informal Settlement resident. Fast forward six years and the domestic worker has realised her dream. She recently completed her bachelor of education degree through the University of South Africa (UNISA).
It wasn’t always easy for the 32-year-old who studied by candlelight in a shack she shared with her sister, she spent nights pouring over material at various libraries and even slept on the street outside the university to secure a loan in order for her to achieve her dream. Thanda also did not feel confident with her English and paid to have private lessons with an English professor.
“I dropped out of school after Grade 11 believing I could make a better future by finding a job and working my way up the employment ladder. My father was against the move and kept encouraging me to go back to school, he felt education was important and believed if you are uneducated, you work hard but earn less, and with an education, you work less but earn more. I refused thinking I knew better.
“I spent my time as a domestic worker and I realised that my dad was right. I was determined to go back to school and finish my matric and go even further. I decided I wanted to get into teaching and inspire and motivate children, who were in similar positions to me, to stay in school and get an education. When I got an SMS last Friday saying I had qualified for my degree, I just burst into tears, I was ecstatic and was so excited. I immediately phoned my dad to tell him, he was so pleased and proud of me,” she said.
Gwija is planning on completing her honours and remains optimistic in securing employment at a local school. She added thousands of young pupils, especially in disadvantaged communities in South Africa lack direction and motivation.
“I’ve worked for the Cameron family in Durban North for four years, and like my father, they have always supported me with my dream. So many people feel helpless and want to give up. If I had someone motivating me and believing in me when I was in school, life could have been different. I want to say to the youth of South Africa, you have to always be positive and believe anything is possible,” she said.
