Folweni matriculant overcomes the odds
A Folweni matriculant did not let his financial struggles define him as he worked tirelessly towards his goals, achieving six distinctions.
ALL THE sleepless nights studying, razor focus on his goals, and prayer paid dividends for Wandile Maphumulo, who matriculated from Ntwenhle Secondary School in Folweni with six distinctions.
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Wandile achieved extraordinary results in isiZulu Home Language, English First Additional Language, Mathematics, Life Orientation, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Geography, for which he got 79%.
Wandile explained that his poor background became motivation for him.
“My mother is a domestic worker. She works around Amanzimtoti and is having to raise three kids alone. Seeing her try so hard and struggle made me realise I had to focus. I studied hard. There was a programme I used to attend for mathematics and science, which added further financial strain,” said Wandile.
Despite his own aspirations to work towards, Wandile was a peer tutor at school and taught his classmates almost every subject.
“I wasn’t sleeping at night. I was just studying hard, peer tutoring, attending programmes,” said Wandile.
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Outside of his studies, Wandile found the time for soccer and explained that he was an important part of the team, sometimes having to be taken out of the classroom to play big matches.
In the few short weeks since his matriculation, Wandile has been offered a full bursary at the University of Witwatersrand, where he will study computer science. Before he jetted off, local NPO Hearts of Toti worked with the community to assist him with transport, clothing, toiletries, pocket money and more to get him settled in.
Wandile advised the Class of 2026 and future matrics to remember that it is not where you are born that determines where you are going, it is how you deal with challenges in the way of your dreams and aspirations.
“For every problem, there is a solution. If you’re struggling with a problem, just know that you are the solution to your own problems. So just focus, pray hard and study, study, study,” said Wandile.
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