Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu [email protected]
AT 3 AM, when much of the world is still asleep, 24-year-old Pride Munkuli would already be awake, completing her household chores before preparing to head to college.
Working as a house helper while pursuing her studies was far from easy, but financial constraints did not deter the determined young woman from pursuing her dream of attaining a tertiary qualification.
Her sacrifice and commitment have now paid off, with Ms Munkuli emerging as the overall best graduate in Early Childhood Development at Joshua Mqabuko Polytechnic’s recent graduation ceremony.
Her journey to the top was characterised by early mornings, careful budgeting and an unwavering determination to build a better future despite limited financial resources.
After sitting for her Advanced Level examinations in 2021, Ms Munkuli obtained 14 points but could not immediately proceed to college because her parents were struggling to meet the family’s financial needs.
Rather than abandon her ambitions, she explored ways of financing her education and eventually secured support from a well-wisher who offered to pay her first-year college fees in exchange for her services as a house helper.
The arrangement required her to relocate from her hometown of Binga to Gwanda in 2022, where she had to balance domestic responsibilities with her academic ambitions.
“I have always had an interest in social studies, even when I was in high school. I did well in my A Level as I managed to obtain 14 points. I couldn’t immediately go to college because my parents were struggling to make ends meet and I realised that I had to put in some effort myself,” she said.
“I found a well-wisher who, upon realising how well I had done at school, offered to pay my school fees for the first year and in return I had to work as a house help. I had to wake up very early in the morning to do my chores so that I could go to college.”
Ms Munkuli enrolled at Joshua Mqabuko Polytechnic in 2023 and had to manage her time carefully to fulfil both her work and academic commitments.
Unlike students who could concentrate exclusively on their studies, she had to complete her household duties before attending classes, without the luxury of taking time off from work to prepare for examinations.
Her determination remained unwavering during teaching practice at Esihlengeni Primary School in Umzingwane District, where she saved most of her allowances to finance her second and third years of study.
Despite the challenges, Ms Munkuli remained focused and graduated with quadruple distinctions in Teaching Practice, Theory of Early Childhood Development, Heritage Social Studies and Professional Studies.
Beyond her academic achievements, she distinguished herself through community outreach initiatives, demonstrating her belief that education should translate into practical solutions to everyday challenges.
During her teaching practice, Ms Munkuli worked with two colleagues on a project to produce cobra using umganu (Marula tree) and other locally available materials.
The initiative sought to demonstrate how communities could harness readily available resources to develop affordable products while potentially creating opportunities for income generation.
“During my teaching practice, my project was on producing cobra from umganu and other locally available materials. Working with two other colleagues, we engaged the community to produce the cobra.
“The main idea behind this project was to come up with a product which people can produce using locally available goods as this is less costly,” said Ms Munkuli.
She said the value of education extended beyond the classroom, with graduates expected to share their knowledge and help communities find solutions to their challenges.
“For me, having an impact in the community is all about teaching other people something new. My scope shouldn’t just be limited to the class I teach or school only, but I should also have an impact within the community as well,” said Ms Munkuli.
Her college also recognised her creativity, empathy and leadership, noting that she had mentored fellow students, encouraged collaboration and incorporated information and communication technology and project-based learning into her lessons.
The citation presented by the college’s acting principal, Mrs Concelia Mswela, highlighted her exceptional academic performance.
“This graduand scooped quadruple distinctions in the following areas of her course, namely: Teaching Practice, Theory of Early Childhood Development, Heritage Social Studies and Professional Studies,” reads the citation.
Having overcome the financial obstacles that threatened to derail her education, Ms Munkuli is now looking beyond her qualification and hopes to pursue further studies in law.
She also hopes to use her knowledge and skills to contribute to national development, particularly by helping communities develop practical solutions using locally available resources.
Ms Munkuli urged young people not to allow financial difficulties to extinguish their ambitions, encouraging them to believe in their abilities and have the courage to address challenges in their communities.
