Granny graduates as engineer at 64
WHEN you think of giving up, here is a story to keep you soldiering on.
Randeka Nghonyama first completed her matric at the age of 43, and now, at 64, she is a qualified electrical engineer.
Nghonyama, from Soshanguve, was last Thursday awarded a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering at the Tshwane University of Technology’s spring graduation.
The mother of four and granny of two said she got married at the age of 17, which forced her to leave school after completing Grade 10.
After working at a clothing store, she went back to high school after 26 years. “Everything was new to me by then.
“But my heart was always at school. I have always known what I wanted. When I went back to school, my first progress report was a total fail, but I never gave up.
“It was difficult, because everything was new; it was like a child starting from scratch.
“I was sitting at a desk wearing a uniform just like any other pupil and I was being made fun of, including being called names, but it never bothered me.”
Nghonyama said she wasn’t happy with her first matric results and returned to school, getting it right at the second attempt.
After completing her matric, she wanted to study nursing and applied to a number of universities with no luck.
She finally applied for electrical engineering and commenced her journey in 2003. Over the seven years she was enrolled, she faced a number of challenges, including financial difficulties, failed some modules due to age-related challenges, being in class with younger students and running an entire family while studying full time.
In 2010, she was too overwhelmed and dropped out. In 2017, lecturers phoned and informed her about the phasing-out of national diplomas and convinced her to register again.
Left with one subject, she registered and managed to do her practicals with the Electrical Engineering Department and project with Centre for Energy and Electric Power at the Pretoria campus.
Nghonyama completed all her subjects in June, and said while it was not plain sailing, she refused to give up. Her qualification was dedicated to the whole of South Africa.
“I have done it for the whole of the country. I want to show young people that no matter how hard it may get, keep soldiering on. No one is ever too late or old for school, I have done it and so can you,” she said.