FROM security guard to receptionist to qualified educator, Thulisiwe Thembisile Kubheka, the friendly face that greets everyone at Northwood School, is achieving great things.
The achievement, however, did not come without hardship and sacrifice, she explained to Northglen News.
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“Growing up in Eshowe, I was privileged to be taught all traditions, and I was raised by three generations in one household. It made me realise that I need to push more on my studies and change the situation at home,” she said.
After finishing school, Kubheka chose to further her studies and opted for computer literacy studies before moving to Durban to find work.
“After I finished matric, I lived with my dad’s relatives in Johannesburg where I studied and looked for work. I couldn’t find any work so I moved to Durban where I worked in many restaurants. I gained customer-service skills, but my heart was set on becoming a teacher,” she said.
Unfortunately, her finances did not allow for her to study, but her love for teaching children ensured that she found a way to make her dream come true.
“I took my child’s grant money and used it to study security studies for three months. I was lucky to get a job at Marshall Security which taught me all aspects of how to portray yourself at work and represent the company in a positive way,” she said.
Kubheka added that she believes that getting her job at Marshall Security was the stepping stone to her future success as the company posted her at schools where her passion lay.
“I saved R500 every month, and I still had to take care of my family back at home as well as my children. After six years of saving, I started my course in 2018 – a Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase. I didn’t think it was going to be possible after losing the father of my child in a car accident in 2019. He was my support system. Things then became worse because my grandparents also died. I was losing close family members,” she added.
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Kubheka then had to take care of her sick mom and siblings, having to be a mother to them and her own children. It took her six years to finish her degree, but she stuck to it and persevered.
“In 2020, I was sent to Northwood Boys to guard the marking centre. They had 65 guards, and I was among them. I was not a supervisor or anything at that time, but I presented myself where needed, and when the marking was finished, I was called in to continue work at Northwood,” she said.
So began her journey to become ‘part of the family’ with the staff and children at the school and to become a qualified educator, something she says she could not have accomplished without her Northwood family who motivated her and made sure her assignments were submitted on time.
“I received an email in March confirming that I had finally completed my degree. I was so excited when they called my name at the Durban Exhibition Centre. I had never imagined myself a graduate after everything I have been through. I want to study further and one day teach at Northwood School. They have been my pillar of strength throughout the years,” said Kubheka.
“I love the boys, and management is amazing. I was hired as a receptionist at the school in June last year. Look at God and the plans he had for my life. I must thank Mr Viljoen, his wife and management, and not forget the School Governing Body and the parents who made my journey so enjoyable at Northwood. Mr Brown from Marshall Security deserves all the thanks, too, because he didn’t limit me from being a guard and helped me prove that a woman can work in the field, too, ” she said.
She said her children and siblings were the only motivation she needed to push more, even on her toughest days. There were days when she had no food to feed her family, but the ‘Northwood prayer warriors and parents’ have made sure she has bread and milk to this day.
“I said to myself that at the age of 35, I want to have my own car, house and a good job, but despite everything that I have gone through, I am two years earlier. To every young woman out there who is still growing and trying so hard to be someone and accomplish your goals and dreams, I want to say, it is possible.”
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