Life after Matric: “I struggled throughout tertiary because of poverty”

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“At a time when most students could focus on their course work, I would wonder where my next meal would come from”.

“I was the first in my family to matriculate and more over did so with six distinctions and obtained a Bachelor’s admission into University, I was the first in my family to achieve this”.

“At the time I had no idea as to the procedure around application process, fees and registration processes. I eventually applied for funding through the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) which was not successful”.

“For the majority of my time at university my only belongings were only a single pair of shoes, only 2 pairs of trousers, 2 t-shirts and a single jersey. These saw me through the first three years at university. During this time I had a very low self-esteem and would at times refuse to engage in class presentations and group meetings along with missing some tests and exams”.

“During the worst of times I would go for up to 9 days without any meals, surviving on tea and water. At a time when most students could focus on their course work, I would wonder where my next meal would come from. I went from being an outstanding student in high school to repeatedly failing my course work. It took me 5 years and 6 months to complete a 3 year degree”.

“In my second block year of 2017 (Oxford University) things seemed to get worse when I lost my mother but through all of this I found God, a loving cousin, and friend (NTSAMI, KELE). Above all, I got to understand why I went through all this PAIN. I found my PURPOSE in life”

My book is titled Before Free Education. I share my story to help with the following:

•It serves as a warning against you people blaming their parents for their misfortune.

•It serves to make parents aware that they cannot give up on their children because they may not fully understand the challenges their children are facing as well as to inspire communication between parents and young people. 

•I need to INSPIRE disadvantaged young people, as well as INFORM advantage young people NOT to take LIFE for granted ”Young people need to stop wiping their feet on their parent’s legacy, and expect their parents to pay for the laundry”

•I need young people to use my life as a reference, in spite of their backgrounds

•This also serves as a reference for young people and their parents to stop feeling sorry for themselves and expecting people to feel sorry for them. 

”We think poverty is only being HUNGRY, HOMELESS and NAKED. But the poverty of being UNWANTED, UNLOVED, UNCARED for is the greatest poverty”

”REALITY can destroy the DREAM. But WHY shouldn’t the DREAM destroy REALITY”

Les Brown ”Graveyard is the richest place on Earth, on it you’ll find hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the BOOKS that were never written, songs that were never sung, inventions that were never shared, cures that were never discovered. ALL because someone was too afraid to take that first step”

WRITTEN BY: EDWIN MPHO MAKITLA