Senzelweyinkosi Ngwenya has won 13 awards when she graduated from Gwanda State University.
“When she was
preparing for her O-Level examinations, I had to scrounge around for money
through selling umtshwankela, umviyo, and anything else that could give me
money just to raise money for her examination fees. It was more of a headache
for us. We were left with no option but to sell one of our six cows. She
attended her lessons until she wrote her A-Level examinations in 2018,” said her
mother, Ms Simangaphi Dube, told the Chronicle
After completing her A-Levels, Senzelweyinkosi faced a
significant hurdle – the inability to afford university fees.
This setback forced her to spend two years at home, her
dreams temporarily deferred. However, a glimmer of hope emerged when her aunts
offered to support her education. In 2020, she enrolled at Gwanda State
University, reigniting her academic aspirations.
Four years later, at the third graduation ceremony of
Gwanda State University held at the Epoch Mine campus yesterday,
Senzelweyinkosi stood out as the event’s poster girl.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in
Animal Science from the Faculty of Natural Resources Management and
Agriculture, receiving 13 individual awards.
“I am so proud of myself, and I know my parents are too. I
had a very difficult upbringing where my mother struggled to raise school fees
for me. She would do menial jobs for our neighbours all for me. When I got into
secondary school, I used to walk 12km every day to school,” said
Senzelweyinkosi, with a mixture of both excitement and contentment.
She aspires to be a role model for young girls in her rural
community, demonstrating that with unwavering determination and resilience,
even the most challenging circumstances can be overcome.
“I look back and say wow, I did it, so I want my peers back
home to also believe in themselves; nothing is impossible,” said
Senzelweyinkosi.
0 comments:
Post a Comment