- Glorence Makharinge
- IRELAND: Kader Asmal Fellowship
- Dublin Business School, 2017-2018
I am Glorence Makharinge, born and raised in Giyani (Jim Nghalalume Village) and currently working in Dublin, Ireland as a Civil Engineer.
When we are confronted with challenges, our response can be categorized into three actions:
● Giving up without attempting to solve the challenge
● Trying, failing and walking away
● Trying hard and harder to turn countless failures into success.
Through the help of the following influential people in my life, I continue to pursue my dreams:
My family are the pillar of my strength, my parents worked relentlessly to provide for me and my 6 siblings. Papa would often wake up at 3am to travel to farms to buy fruits and vegetables, which my mother would sell to the community. To say my parents were hardworking, unwavering and go-getters is an understatement. My older siblings completed university and started working when I was younger. I was motivated and knew if it was possible for them, I could do it too.
For as long as I can remember, I always surround myself with friends who challenged me and from whom I learnt so much. A Medical Doctor (Dr. Vhelaphi Collins Mlambo) from my community offers Mathematics and Physical Sciences classes to high school students. I was one of the students he took on. I was able to complete grade 12 with exceptional results due to the efforts and sacrifices this man made. He has changed so many lives, a remarkable example of how we can all make a change in our communities. And countless other individuals and institutions who inspired me to aim for higher heights and continue learning.
One of the biggest challenges facing young South Africans is securing funding for higher education. I obtained a fully funded scholarship from Petronas to pursue a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), Civil at University Technology Petronas, Malaysia and graduated in 2015. Two years later, I received a fully funded scholarship through the Kader Asmal Fellowship to study a Master in Business Administration (Project Management) in Dublin, Ireland. I secured a job offer in Ireland and currently work as a Civil Engineer for residential and commercial developments in Dublin.
Opportunities are galore, let's continue searching and pushing until our desired goals are achieved. If we are breathing, there is hope.
I am grateful.
