Shabane Justice

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I am very pleased to get this opportunity of an essay writing about myself and my family background.  Firstly, I want to introduce myself to the reader of this essay.  I am currently doing my second year of study.  I am doing a bachelor of Administration degree.  I was educated at Bhekaphambili High School, which is my local high school and I passed my matric with exemption in 1988.

My family is living in a rural area with poor social as well as education facilities.  My family consists of eight members including the father and the mother.  I am the third son in my family.  My older brother and my older sister are both not working.  My father was retrenched at work at the end of 1989, while I was doing my first year of study.  My mother had never worked before.  My father was a general worker at lever brothers (Pty) Ltd.  Last year and even now he not working.  The other three children are still studying at high school, two of them doing matric this year.

Last year, that is 1990 my father was able to finance my studies using his unemployment benefits and the money that he deposited at bank while he was still working.  At the beginning of this year his savings became exhausted and he became economically inactive.  Fortunately he was able to pay the registration fee, however, books and other allowances were not provided at all.  I borrowed a sum of seven hundred rands to pay my first installment in April from a private individual.  I applied for a number of bursaries last year but I did not get anyone.

I included philosophy in my curriculum this year as one of my courses.  Fortunately, the Department of Philosophy have assisted me with the sum of five hundred rands to pay my second installment of tuition fee.   I took Philosophy as one of my courses because it overlaps with my other courses.  Although, we have done not many things in Philosophy this year but, sections in writing and reading skills have helped me very much in coping with the other courses.  I am taking Political Science as a major subject and in Philosophy we are doing Socialism and Democracy which are great importance to Political Science.  Although my course does not necessarily requires Philosophy in the second year level but I am looking forward at going on with Philosophy.  Anyway Philosophy is an interesting course.

To conclude, if the Philosophy Department did not help me with this sum of money, I should have not continued with my studies this year.  Without any financial assistance definetly next year I would be unable to continue with my studies and this will eventually jeopardize my future, since in South Africa we are experiencing under employment I owe great thanks to the Department and looking forward to any assistance it may offer to me, as one of the disadvantageous student of this University.

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