Angel Langa of the Magwaveni township in Tongaat was one of many matriculants who demonstrated that it really is possible to rise above one’s circumstances.
The Nkosibomvu Secondary School pupil in Hambanathi was accepted into the Protec Tongaat career enrichment programme in Grade 10 with pupils from a number of different schools.
Angel stays in a one-room house with her mother, grandmother and 5 siblings. Her mother depends on part-time domestic work to provide for them.
She had to wait for everyone to go to sleep before she could study without distractions. With the help of her stepfather, she also went to school at night to study with her schoolmates.
Her Protec class of 2021 obtained a 92% pass rate and she herself bagged 5 distinctions.
She hopes to pursue a career as a medical doctor.
Collectively the 39 students produced 13 mathematics, 4 physical science and 9 English distinctions.
The top achievers were Phindile Xaba and Simile Ngwazi, who each earned 7 distinctions.
Xaba’s distinctions were in maths, physics, life sciences, accounting, English, Zulu and life orientation.
Ngwazi scored distinctions in physics, maths, life orientation, life sciences, geography, English and Zulu.
Seventeen-year-old Xaba, who stays in the Zwelisha informal settlement near Phoenix, said her biggest motivation came from her challenging living conditions.
“It is not a nice place to live with all the crime and noise, but through the unwavering support of my aunt and uncle, I was able to pull through.
“My main goal is to study further, and when I am employed one day I will have to get my family out of the place,” said Xaba.
She now hopes to gain entry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal so that she can study chemical engineering or computer sciences.
Langa’s advice to her peers still in school was to “never be afraid to ask for help when you need it, and have clear intentions about your work and future”.
The students thanked Protec Tongaat for helping them achieve their results, saying the extra classes made all the difference.
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