Felicitus Malinga
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First and foremost I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation for the grant having made available to me. Without the grant I stood risk of losing this academic year because, inter alia, I would not have registered at all. I really am deeply touched and lost for words in that I cannot thank the donors enough in this regard. Of course, the grant has already been spent towards my registration and tuition fees.
I am the eighth child in a family of sixteen. I was born on April 19, 1971 at Lamontville, Durban where I presently live. Lamontville is one old township which, according to historical texts in Anthropology, was founded by the Durban City Council in order that the black “labour force” could be housed near their place of work. It was begun as an ordinary village (hence Lamontville) in the early years of the then Union of South Africa. Over the years it grew into a huge densely-populated township, mainly meant for blacks.
My parents married in 1952. Then my father was hoister driver in one factory that manufactured cars. During those times my mother was quite energetic as a school teacher although her monthly earnings were clearly a ridicule to the teaching profession. As a matter of fact, as the family grew into becoming a large family until I was also born to add to the already existing number of the family’s population. In reality not much can be written about my family as such because most of it is sad due to the general poverty of blacks (mainly) in South Africa.
The financial situation of my family is extremely frightening because my mother is the sole breadwinner for the entire family. My father is not working at all. However, he stopped working in 1986 to help alter the records in so far as the statistics of the general retrenchments of workers in South Africa is concerned. Perhaps I would be writing a far much different story had it not been for the sad fact that two of my elder sisters were born disabled and no medical practitioner has been able to aid them—such that they cannot find employment to assist maintain the family. My eldest brother is already married with five children whom he supports and, owing to the fact that he does not earn much, he therefore cannot assist us in any way whatsoever. Meanwhile, my mother has since become a pensioner as of recently (this year). This directly implies that now the family is compelled to rely on pension funds on my mother’s as a basic and only source of income. In view of the above, it becomes apparent that had it not been for the USSAS grant, I definitely would not have been able to study at all. What scared and still continues to haunt me is that I know that given the country’s economic continued decline I did not stand a change of acquiring employment. And unfortunately, it is sad to note that there are so many other families out there that find themselves in more or less similar circumstances.
I started schooling in 1977 at Entukweni L.P. School. I only spent four years at the said school after which I proceeded to Bantuvukani H.P. School where I completed my standard five with a C aggregate symbol. The following year I went to Mafumbuka junior secondary school where I passed my standard eight with a D aggregate symbol. Procedurally once more, I went to Swelihle High school where I ultimately matriculated with an D aggregate symbol in 1988, I reckon was not too good though.
In 1989 I then cam to the University of Durban-Westville where I failed. As a matter of fact, however, I did not just fail because I intended to nor because I was lazy to study. No! My failure was due to the following detrimental factors: I had no books, many a time I had no money for transport to school as well as, amongst other, proper accommodation. In view of the above-mentioned factors, it becomes clear that the dilemma in which I found myself was by no means conducive to studying at all. In 1990 I just could not return to the University to repeat owing to the sad fact that there was no money at all to finance my studies.
But, nevertheless, I was able to return to campus in 1991, funded by a loan from SASET. I repeated my first year and subsequently passed it. It could be correctly assumed that my success was due to the availability of the loan. Consequently, I am now busy doing my second-year as a result of the USSAS scholarship grant.
Community activities in which I have been and still am involved vary in their respects and they include the following: Lamontville Unity of Cultural Activities which is a kind of recreational organization since it, inter alia, stage plays and or dramas. I am a member of the local church choir, a group that has proved its talented skills during eistedfords. I also participate in sport for example last year I won a trophy for obtaining position one during December vacations in Lamonville Cross-country Marathon. Meanwhile, both last year as well as this year I was actively involved in the University’s Student Representation Council (SRC)’s Orientation Team (O’Team).
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