‘No one owes you, you need to work hard in order to make your dream a reality’
Maredi Mothapo is a clinical psychologist who believes hard work and determination got him to where he is.
POLOKWANE – Mothapo is a married father of two and says nothing gives him more satisfaction than fetching his children from school. “I come from a close knit family, and that is how I would also describe my own family.”
Mothabo holds a Phd from the University of Limpopo and waited four years before he started his undergraduate studies because he had to save up the money for registration. “When I passed Gr 12, there was no way my family could afford tertiary education. I had to spend four years doing odd jobs to help save enough money to register.” I was the first person in my family to ever attend varsity and I needed to have a plan to convince my parents to allow me to study. I knew they would raise the issue of finances, so I made sure to register before I told them.”
Mothapo says he registered with no plan on how he was going to pay for the remainder of his studies, he just wanted to start his educational journey. “Having to adjust to being back in a classroom after a four-year break was hectic. Luckily, I was not one for friends, I concentrated on my work and that’s how I made it.”
Mothapo eventually obtained a NSFAS bursary which assisted him. He mentions that he never attended his graduation ceremony, not until he completed his masters. “I didn’t feel it to be necessary to attend the graduation before I worked for what I really wanted. My end goal was always completing my masters.”
Mothapo says that his motivation was always his background, and how hard he had to work to make this dream a reality. “When I started Gr 8, I had to walk 16 km, daily, to and from school. This meant I would have to leave home at 05:30 to get to school on time.”
Mothapo adds that his high school did not have enough classrooms and his Gr 8 and Gr 9 classes took place under a tree. “For two years, I was taught under a tree. The winters were bad and very often we did not attend class due to the weather. It was in the summer that we enjoyed it because it was pleasant to be outside.”
Despite all these hardships, Mothapo still managed to work towards owning his own private practice and he is also a lecturer at the University of Limpopo. “Looking back, I appreciate every little thing that I went through, because it made me the person I am today. Being passionate about my occupation also makes it easier to wake up for work every day. People need to realise that no one owes them their dreams. You need to work hard in order to make it happen.”
