Reaching for success from humble beginnings
Maradona, originally from a humble rural background, can now practise as medical doctor at the Kalafong Provincial Tertiary Hospital in Pretoria.
Uplands Outreach has changed the life of many people from underprivileged areas during recent years.
One of these programme participants is Dr Maradona Mashigo.
Thanks to long-standing donor support over many years, Maradona, originally from a humble rural background, can now practise as medical doctor at the Kalafong Provincial Tertiary Hospital in Pretoria.
He was raised by a single parent, his father, and attended the little-known Gutjwa Primary School (part of the Insikazi Circuit). “When I was there it only had six classrooms,” he remembers. He completed his matric at Khutsalani Secondary School, from where he attended extra classes offered by Uplands Outreach in grade 12.
“My father’s constant support and prayer were, however, the two things that have been vital to me all through that journey.”
After school he completed his six years of undergraduate medical training in Cuba, for which he also had to learn Spanish. Another year at Wits University provided his MB.BCh in 2017.
He is now busy with his second year of internship at Kalafong. “After finishing later this year, I’ll start my community service year in Mpumalanga,” he said. “I am also preparing to write my advanced trauma life support (ATLS) course exams and towards the middle of next year, I will write my surgical primaries.”
He hopes to start specialising in orthopaedics in 2021. He dreams of becoming a spine surgeon, but if orthopaedics doesn’t work out, he would also love to do cardiothoracic surgery. “It’s always good to have a plan B,” he believes.
As a driving force behind his success, he keeps his hunger and appetite for success bigger than what he can chew. “Every time I complete a task, I want more!” he admitted.
His message to current learners and matriculants is that there is a great deal of strength in acknowledging one’s weaknesses. “Don’t be afraid of your weaknesses, be aware of them. Then spend your time focused and appreciating your strengths.”
He urges them to make the most of every opportunity that may come their way. “You never know how life is going to work out. When I was young, I could never have dreamed that coming from a poor background I would now be in the place where I am, competing with top surgeons for theatre time!
“You have to just work hard and stay hungry for success.”
