Lekoana achieves against all odds
He said poverty encouraged him to work hard and change his family situation.
One may wonder why a lot of eKasi young people never get to tertiary institutions after completing their Grade Twelve. Some of them tend to despair and drop out of school early into their high school.
Wonderboy Lekoana said the problem emanates from the lack of knowledge, absence of determination from the youth and he reckons that coming from an impoverished background shouldn’t be an excuse to not succeed.
The 25-year-old project management employee said he is a living testimony that poverty cannot hinder anyone’s dreams if they know what they want in life.
“My father passed away in 2002. My mother could not afford my tertiary education but I still acquired a Diploma in Human Resources and I furthered my studies to obtain a BTech degree. My mother never paid a cent for that,” said Wonderboy.
He said his mother was a domestic worker who earned a minuscule wage and she struggled to have transport money for his three siblings.
“As a result, they had to bunk school and eventually they had to drop out of school to find work and help our mother. I pushed to finish matric and got through my tertiary using student loans.”
He said his Diploma was financed by NFSAS while he also got indebted by studying his BTECH degree on credit.
Wonderboy’s degree was withheld by the institution where he studied because he owed them a lot of money. He settled the debt when he got employed.
After finishing tertiary education he said a friend told him about graduate’s internships available at BANKSETA and they both applied in 2015.
“My application was successful and I went through the programme from 2015 to January 2016. I was training as an assistant administrator in the youth development department. I was then retained by the company and offered permanent employment. Through my dedication, perseverance and my ability to work well with other people I got the job.”
Now Wonderboy works as an administrator at the BANKSETA’s project management’s office and that is something totally different from what he studied for.
He said learners must not only pursue what they studied for but they must look out for other opportunities as well.
“My degree was a stepping stone that got me into the company but I enjoy project management now. I want to grow within the banking and project management industry but I don’t want to limit myself within the sector.”
Wonderboy said he is a simple boy from eKasi who works hard to rise above his challenges. He wants to climb the corporate ladder and one day become a senior manager and eventually become the head of the Operations Department.
“To survive in project management you need to be accountable, pay attention to details (focus), have good communication skills and have an understanding of accounting because you are going to work with a lot of budgets. You must have an ability to negotiate with service providers and uphold good business etiquette. You also need to have an understanding of the laws of contracts. What I love about my job are the challenges.”
He said he loves solving problems and coming up with answers. He also adores working with people.
“I am the solution guy and I assist wherever there is a need. I learn a lot from helping people in my team. I have a wonderful and supportive team that I work with at the moment. Best moment in the company was the announcement of my permanent employment by the acting CEO Dimakatso Seete.”
He said poverty encouraged him to work hard and change his family situation.
Wonderboy said he gets a lot of questions in the township as to why he is not buying himself a car now that he is working.
“My answer is that walking is not a sign of poverty and owning/driving a car is not a sign of success. Know your priorities. Everything will come at the right time as long as you believe. Your poor circumstances shouldn’t discourage you. Everything is possible as long as you commit yourself. A blessing delayed is not a blessing denied. What God gives no man can deny.”
Wonderboy Lekoana is currently taking care of his mother. She is now retired.
“We are a family of five children and I am paying my younger sibling’s tertiary fees to help her make something out of her life.”
Wonderboy Lekoana is a true inspiration to the youth of Tembisa.
Learners who seek advice can contact Wonderboy on 084 876 4194.
