Gofaone Nanie Peletang

EVEN IF THIS LIFE TRIES TO KNOCK YOU DOWN…….DON’T GIVE UP!

My name is Gofaone Nanie Peletang from Botswana. I didn’t do well at high school that I did not qualify for university. I had nobody to advice me so I applied for a short course. After 6 months of training I was employed by the government and to me everything was set. I needed the money because I had to take care of my brother. My first salary was P1,701.00 and to me it was huge money because it was my first time to work.

At the end of my first year at work, I started hating my job but I had no choice because I had to provide for my brother and my son. I worked under very harsh conditions, my supervisors reminded me every day that I was not educated, the way they treated me. I tried to apply for schools and jobs but all I received was regrets. For 4 years I had to do the work that I did not like. The beginning of my 5th year at work something came to my mind…. what if I go back to school? ?

So many questions filled my mind, am I not too old for school? Am I going to pass? You know I had no answers to all these questions and I got discouraged. This particular day it came to my mind again and I had to agree with myself once and for all I decided to do it while still working. The money was not enough to pay tutors so I decided to do it on my own, I registered and I started with my books that I used 5 years back. They laughed at me at work but I knew what I wanted out of it, I worked very hard, I sweat. At the end of the year I wrote exams. January, the results came out and I had passed! I applied for university, March I received an admission letter.

Now the question was, am I going to cope with no salary? I have two kids already how are we going to survive? I made a final decision, I resigned from work.

I came to university, my first year was all struggles and I had to adapt to the situation. Now here I am , left with only five months to complete varsity, I am using my work experience to do counselling and mentoring. I started my own business. I am a SURVIVOR! ! The suffering is in my past, I am looking forward to great things ahead of me.

Remember, I started tertiary at the age of 26 and I am doing very well at school. I was chosen among the best students last semester and I was sent to do a course in France.

If I managed to do it, you too can do it too. If you need advice, I am here to help you.