Durban student beats odds
AFTER recovering from a shooting that left him with partial paralysis and his dreams in tatters, a Durban man beat the odds and received his Honours degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal this week.
An excited and proud Malibongwe Nelson Majola graduated with a degree in Community and Development studies on Monday.
The road to getting this degree was fraught with pain and difficulty for Majola.
In 2008, he was shot and had to put his dreams of becoming a mine surveyor on hold.
He told The Mercury that he had been studying surveying through Unisa in 2008 after completing his schooling in 2007.
“I was shot in the head and it took me four years to recover. One minute I was walking on the road and the next I was waking up in hospital. It was terrifying.”
While recuperating at home, Majola saw first-hand the hardships endured by his family and his community, choosing then to pursue a career in the community development field.
The bullet wound caused Majola to suffer hemiplegia, a condition that causes total or partial paralysis of one side of the body.
His disability inspired him to become a role model for both able-bodied and disabled people. He believes that being disabled is not a problem.
“Problems start when you regard (your) disability as a problem. The proper way to deal with such a situation is to get educated and although it is not easy you must have faith and believe in yourself.”
Majola suffered frequent epileptic attacks during his undergraduate years, which he says are now under control, thanks to prescribed medication.
He had difficulty concentrating after experiencing the attack, but he kept working hard with the support of his family and friends.
In his research, he examined the impact of the dropout rate from school on community development.
He has found that crime and poverty increased in communities where there was a significant school dropout rate because employment opportunities were limited and it was difficult for those people to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
“I hope my research will contribute to identifying solutions to combat the issues of poverty in society,” he said.
Majola is now enrolled for his Masters degree and plans to do a PhD.
“To those faced with disabilities and various issues, always have faith and believe in yourself. Never let anyone take advantage of your situation. You are the architect of your own destiny.”