Longing to help make a difference
Afunga Sinxo has spent two frustrating and fruitless years hunting for a job since he graduated with a bachelor of agricultural economics.
Sinxo matriculated in 2010 from Hector Peterson High and in 2011 he started his degree in agricultural studies at Fort Hare University.
It was in high school, when one of his subjects involved agriculture, that he realised the need for crop production in the country, and began to understand that the economy was not doing very well ,although the country was rich in land and natural resources.
“I enjoyed this subject in high school; it talked a lot about animals and how to produce food and everything that comes from agriculture.
“I also learnt about the importance of agriculture in our country. My interest was also sparked by my uncle, whom I used to visit in the villages as he would talk to me a lot about farming and I paid a lot of attention,” he said.
Sinxo says of all the challenges he faced in university, managing his time was the biggest.
“I was unable to schedule enough study time and there was so much more work than high school and new courses that I had never heard of.
“With time, I managed to grasp the content and with a struggle I began to master and keep track of time, and I managed to do well thereafter.”
The peer pressure in his first year to go out drinking and partying was also a challenge for him, he said.
He did not have a bursary to finance his studies, so his social life was a bit constrained.
“Another challenge I faced – and I’m still facing – is that there are not many internship opportunities in my qualification, and yet we are told that it falls under scarce skills so one would think that graduates in my field would be highly sought after.”
Sinxo’s advice to other agricultural economics students is to be clear that if they want to do well, they need to be adaptable and have strong interpersonal, time management and organisational skills.
For matrics who do not know what agricultural economics is, it is about the economic interaction between agricultural production processes and the natural environment.
While waiting for a job opportunity, Sinxo has opened a small business painting T-shirts with his own arty designs, to earn an income.
If you think Sinxo has the qualities for possible hire, contact Bukeka Zulu of Abantu Staffing Solutions on 043-7212299.