Former school cleaner bags teaching degree
During his studies, David experienced a lot of challenges and sad moments. In 2015 he lost his father, and his mother three years later. His big brother passed away in 2019.
Perseverance is a necessary trait all successful individuals have and it speaks to a refusal to give up in the pursuit of a goal despite difficulties.
Keaoleboga David Mmolotsane who started as a cleaner at Florida Primary School in 2008 has recently earned a teaching degree from Unisa.
Popularly known by the learners and educators as Uncle David, he remains a true inspiration to the school and community.
Shortly after David secured a job as a cleaner at the school, one of the school’s employees who was responsible for making photocopies went on maternity leave and he was asked to step in.
He has also worked in the school’s admin office on a temporary basis before the former principal Mrs Fick encouraged him to further his studies.
David said that it was not easy for him to be motivated since he knew that he would not be able to afford the high costs of an education.
“Mrs Fick insisted that I get registered and offered to pay my application and registration fees. I was accepted to study towards a Bachelor’s in Education (BEd) and when my mid-year results came out, I had received three distinctions. She was so impressed and told me not to pay her back,” said David.
It became more difficult for David during 2018 and 2019 as he struggled financially and could not secure any loans to pay for his studies, but a colleague by the name of Mrs Jardine was always willing to assist him financially.
In 2020 David’s application to the National Students’ Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was approved and in May 2022 he received a letter from the institution informing him that he had passed all his modules.
He has been invited to partake in the graduation ceremony on Wednesday, June 15 at the Unisa campus in Pretoria where his degree will be officially presented to him.
Out of 40 modules, David has impressively passed 20 with distinctions.
During his studies, David experienced a lot of challenges and sad moments. In 2015 he lost his father, and his mother three years later. His big brother passed away in 2019.
He admitted that it was not easy for him as he felt like abandoning his studies, but he told himself that God knew all of these things before they happened.
“I am encouraging others not to be discouraged by our challenges and circumstances to attain our goals. We can all learn from this; when you boil a potato it becomes soft but the very same boiling water makes an egg hard. From this experience I have learnt that if you really want something, you should work for it and always invite God to lead you,” said David.
