Childhood dreams become a reality thanks to Penryn bursary programme

Ever since he can remember, Oliver Ratnarajah stopped whatever he was busy with as soon as a plane flew overhead, and squinted to try and spot it. Today, 20 years later, this has not changed.

His childhood dream to become a pilot was realised in 2019 when he received his commercial licence at age 19.

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In March, he took this dream to new heights when he obtained his licence in aviation. “The licence I just received is the highest one you can obtain in the industry. This allows me to move on to much larger aircraft and have a command position,” Ratnarajah said.

This 23-year-old would not have been able to chase his dreams if it had not been for the Penreach Shalamuka Bursary. The bursary aims to promote a culture of academic excellence through providing educational and psychosocial support to highly gifted and financially deserving scholars.

“Thanks to the bursary, I was able to complete my matric at a great school and received a high standard of education, which has been so important in getting me to where I am now,” said Ratnarajah.

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Penryn gave him so much more than just book knowledge; it taught him how to approach life and the challenges he might face. “If it hadn’t been for the Penreach Shalamuka Bursary, I would not have been able to prepare myself for the journey that lies ahead.”

His sister, Tessi, is also part of the bursary scheme and is currently en route to fulfilling her dreams too. She goes by the stage name Tessi Nandi, and hosted her first gig on Sunday. She is no stranger to the spotlight and has opened stages for well-known artists such as Arno Carstens and Majozi.

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Sarah, their mother, said she is so proud of her children, and that she admires their continuous hard work to achieve their dreams, sometimes defying the odds. “They have both been blessed with being talented in their areas of passion, and they have made sure to grab every opportunity to help them realise their dreams. They have unbelievable levels of courage and resilience,” she said.

Like her son, Sarah also thanked Penryn and the Penreach Shalamuka Bursary for their contribution to her children’s dreams and for moulding them into the young adults they are today. Sarah mentioned her kids were offered bursaries through the programme at a time when they would not have been able to keep paying their school fees.

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The next step in Oliver’s dream-chasing journey, is to become a captain for Airtec Global, the company for which he is currently working. “If you are planning to do anything in life, you need to be passionate about it. This allows you to keep pushing yourself even when everything seems to be going against you. It allows you to see where you want to be in life and makes sure you carry on working, even when you are at your lowest and are ready to call it quits.”

Oliver has worked with Doctors Without Borders in the Central African Republic, and is currently in Western Sahara where they are contracted to do work for the United Nations.