‘Poverty should not be a barrier to success’

Attending school under a tree with a blackboard propped up against a rock was just one of the personal anecdotes University of Cape Town (UCT) Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng shared with a group of grade 12 learners during a Youth Open Day at the Faculty of Health Sciences on 30 April.

The event, organised by UCT’s Surgical Society, was held ahead of the university’s official Open Day scheduled to take place on campus this Saturday, 4 May.

Addressing the group of learners, Phakeng encouraged them to not be deterred by their circumstances and to aim for good results during the mid-year and final exams.

“Every dream needs hard work and it all starts with achieving good results in your exams. Don’t wait, start now,” she urged.

“Opportunity is dead without someone who makes it happen.”

Adequate preparation, determination and outstanding results are what will help secure a university entry, Phakeng said, not just to UCT, but to any of South Africa’s universities. But the learners should not expect it to be easy.

“Opportunity is dead without someone who makes it happen.”

“Nothing worthwhile comes easy. You need to ask yourselves ‘what will it take to complete my degree?’ and work on that,” she said.

Counting down to university

Hard work is at the top of the list and so is enlisting help from others to deal with problem areas.

“The countdown has begun. If you want to get into university to realise your dream, you need to plan and aim high in exams. The competition [to get into university] is tough.”

Phakeng urged them to not lose sight of their dreams and to not become part of a group of easy complainers who say and believe they will never get anywhere and are doomed to fail because they are black.

“Before you make that decision, [know that] you are wrong. You can get somewhere,” she said.

“Poverty should not be a barrier to success.”

She told her audience that they are more advantaged than she was at their age, and encouraged them to make use of the opportunities available.

“Your English is so much better, you’re a lot more confident, you’re more exposed to different things and you have more opportunities than I had at your age.”

Top tips

It’s easy to get distracted, especially while enjoying the company of friends and family and exploring new hobbies and interests. But keep focused and remain disciplined, was the VC’s advice for the learners.

 “Don’t rush for the coolness of the now. Look [towards] the coolness of the future. The coolness that comes with the future is so much better.”

Ask many questions and be curious; those are the fundamentals of learning, she added.

“Don’t rush for the coolness of the now. Look [towards] the coolness of the future. The coolness that comes with the future is so much better.”

Theodora Amoa, event organiser and head of career development at the Surgical Society, said UCT had partnered with non-profit student development organisations Afrikacan and Ikamva Youth to introduce high school learners from marginalised communities to UCT, and to the Faculty of Health Sciences in particular.

The jam-packed programme included two clinical workshops, one on surgical suturing – a procedure used to hold body tissue together after an injury or surgery, and another on cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

A separate part of the day’s programme included an address by two student representatives as well as a presentation on UCT’s National Benchmark Tests (NBT), an exam that measures learners’ academic readiness for university. There was also a discussion on the application process.

Amoa said the event was not limited to health sciences.

“That [was] the interesting part of this event. It was for the youth at large who may or may not have considered a career in health sciences.

“I am hoping to encourage these students, not specifically to strive for a career in health sciences, but to [aim] for more [when it comes] to their education.”