Young man is determined to solve climate change by any means possible
He is currently pursuing his dreams in environmental studies in India.
A Swazi born graduate, Kuhle Hlophe (26), is one of the many young men who grew up without the guidance of a father. Despite that, he has set high goals for himself and is currently pursuing his dreams in environmental studies in India.
According to Hlophe, his father left him and his siblings in the Kingdom of eSwatini to find greener pastures in South Africa many years ago, but never returned home. “I was raised by my grandparents. My mother died in 2008 after an illness and my father has been absent for most of my life, but he’s still alive and working in South Africa,” he said.
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After matric he pursued a bachelor’s degree in environmental health sciences and graduated in 2017. He has been employed in the forestry industry since then. Hlophe’s lifelong goal has always been to join academia and lecture at academic institutions, and to be able to work with highly reputable international organisations like the United Nations and the World Health Organization “I’m quite an ambitious person.
“I am consistently trying to improve myself by striving towards opportunities and also expanding my knowledge especially in my educational field. I have this concept in which I always tell myself that I can never settle down if I want to do better and achieve greatness.” He learned the international scholarships through social media. His first application was in 2018 and it was only approved a year later.
He was awarded the Indian Council for Cultural Relations’ full scholarship to pursue his master’s degree in environmental studies at Delhi University.
He will be majoring in sustainable development.
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“Due to Covid-19, I was not able to travel to India in 2020. I was forced to complete our first year online as with the rest of my class,” Hlophe said. He believed his academic achievement will help to address issues of nature conservation and climate change in Africa.
“The world is faced with an unprecedented era of worsening environmental issues such as air and water pollution, climate change, soil degradation, and others. These issues are the root causes of much death, disease and disability through the consumption of poor water quality, respiratory diseases from air pollution, vector borne diseases and the list is endless.
“My greatest aspiration is to become an extended arm in my country to help it improve and sustainability manage its natural environment,” he said. Hlophe has urged the youth to have a plan, a vision and relentless ambition regarding their lives. “Lastly, they should be aware that the world is changing and they also need to evolve so that they are able to adapt to any situation. Our country needs more experts, entrepreneurs and great visionaries. We owe this to ourselves.”
