The Graduate; A Valid Dream

Having aspirations is important when you are from Ekasi, otherwise you will live and die there. It is not a bad thing when you want to spend the rest of your life in one environment. However, I wouldn’t rob myself of a chance to a better life; traveling, and exploring different parts of this country and the world, intentionally! I would rather be caged by unforeseen circumstances, but if I have an opportunity to make the change I will not hesitate to make that change. Back to the story so my dream of studying still lingered on my mind and it gave me sleepless nights as I was searching for funding.

It was around November/December 2016, the government just installed free wifi around my Kasi. I and the boys are abusing this wifi every afternoon. I just joined Instagram and I’m loving the nice things it exposes me to. So one day, I am on Instagram scrolling through and I see the post about an opportunity to study media. Write an essay about why you want to study media and tell us why should we pick you? Went home poured my heart on a piece of paper, the following day I went to my best friend (Mshakes) and read it to him. He was moved by the essay. Typed it out by the internet cafe and send that email. I wasn’t a firm believer in God but I had to trust that there is God somehow, who was going to take to school.

While waiting in hopes of getting a scholarship from Marvin. I went to one of MoFlava’s bursary auditions in Pretoria. This was the same campus I did paralegal at. I arrived there around 7:00 AM and only to be interviewed at 7:00 PM. I only had transport money and ate popcorns and ice cream which they gave us. I was starving, sadly I couldn’t use my taxi fare. At some point I was like f**k this, let me go home! But this is my dream and an opportunity of a lifetime. I was number 113. Eventually, I was interviewed by MoFlava and he gave a radio script and I read it in the studio with my shaky voice because I was super nervous.

After the bursary interview, I had to walk in the rain from Arcadia to Bosman, then travel from Pretoria to Tembisa and it was late. I believed that the interview went well but didn’t get a call afterward. I was broken by that. It is almost February all my friends went back to school because they were still in high school. I am all alone Ekasi and slowly getting depressed. Then a miracle happened, God never forsaken his children, trust me! I get called for a scholarship interview at Marvin. They were still in Randburg then, I arrive at their nice office next to Multichoice. Melusi interviewed me and the other guy who came for the interview as well. I was told that I got the scholarship, which was a defining moment in my life. This is the day I met George Gladwin of MARVIN. I remember asking to hug him, I don’t do hugs in general. I would do it all over again because my dream is valid.

Writer: /PP.Selolo