At the age of six, Hope lost her mother and has since lived at Nkosi’s Haven, an orphanage that’s part of our Infinite Family. At twelve, she met her Video Mentor Nicole, who’s in the US. They’ve been together ever since.
At eighteen, Hope passed Matric with a Bachelor’s Pass and applied to study medicine or dentistry. Sadly, a disappointing result in one critical exam ended that dream. Hope suddenly had an unwanted ‘gap year’.
Undaunted, she used the time to course-correct, teaching herself how to braid hair and earn money while she reconsidered her future. In October 2024, she was offered a provisional place at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to study Nuclear Medical Technology, which she expected to be confirmed in January 2025. Hope had everything lined up regarding her scholarship. All she needed was the green light to enroll in her chosen course of study.
But it was NOT to be. When the results were announced, Hope’s provisional placement had been revoked. She learned much later that the university was only able to take 10 first-year students for the course — they had received over 100 applications. Hope is among thousands of other students who went through this ordeal.
Over the last seven years, Hope’s own resilience and hard work have been matched by her mentor’s unwavering support. She knew that giving up was not an option. With the skills she learned through the journey with Nicole, she again looked for options. With the help of one of our Net Blazers, Hlengiwe, who is a senior/post-graduate student at UJ and like a big sister, Hope put in a late application for other courses that still had space. Finally, a position that would stick: Hope was accepted for Bachelor of Commerce, Industrial Psychology.
While Hope says the transition into university life is challenging, she is putting in the work to be success by tapping into all the resources available. This includes access to lecturers when extra help is needed, tutors, mentors assigned to first-year students at the student residence, peer support WhatsApp groups, and a structured study time in the evening. She also joined the netball team for physical exercise. The one big adjustment she mentioned is coming home after a long day and having to prepare dinner, something she did not have to worry about growing up at Nkosi’s Haven.
We know that Hope has what it takes to overcome challenges and stay focused on building a better future for herself. Even preparing dinner will not faze her as she moves onwards and upwards.