Dreams delayed and actualised

After five years of being at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), PhD graduand Polycarp Ndibangwi has this sage advice for people on a similar journey: “Network while being kind and humble to everyone like a servant.”

Polycarp will walk across the stage at the Sarah Baartman Hall on 3 September with his PhD in Cardiomyopathy, which focuses on [how] to use next-generation sequencing to ascertain the genetic characteristics of cardiomyopathy in a large South African cohort. His, however, hasn’t been smooth sailing …

Polycarp revealed that it is only now that he can speak about the personal tragedy that befell his family when he was still a young boy: “It happened during my adolescence: first, my father passed away in August 2003, and then my mother passed away in July the following year. As my mother’s first-born son, I was deeply traumatised after her passing. Their deaths completely changed my life, as I had to learn to take care of myself,” he said.

“My father was a pharmacist who wanted all his children to receive a good education. However, I remembered a verse from the Holy Bible: ‘Honour your father and mother so that it may go well with you, and you may enjoy long life on the earth’. I began to meditate and reflect on all the plans our parents had for us, and I decided to do everything possible to continue my education.”

He then turned to the construction industry and rice farming to fend for himself, but even those pieces of the puzzle did not fall into place seamlessly.

“In 2003, my main goal was to finish high school and attend university. I intended to work and save money for uniforms, transportation, fees and rent. Despite having a muscular physique, the physical demands of construction work were overwhelming. I often experienced swollen and painful elbows, making it difficult to raise my arms, and blisters on my palms, which made it hard to handle tools. Working in the hot sun also resulted in severe facial sunburns, causing significant pain during bathing,” Polycarp recalled.

Describing himself as a dynamic individual with a keen passion for knowledge and learning; and renowned for his analytical mindset and exceptional attention to detail, Polycarp’s steadfastness landed him biochemistry, which led him to bioinformatics. But his eyes were set on studying medicine, and to specialise in the inborn errors of metabolism or heart failure. It was either that or computer science, but because of his financial situation, he said, he could not study any of his chosen fields. However, in keeping with a dream delayed and not denied, he finally earned enough money for his junior degree and made his way to UCT. His PhD grant was funded through the African Cardiomyopathy and Myocarditis Registry Programme (IMHOTEP).

Meaningful contributions

“I am motivated by a strong desire to make meaningful contributions. I actively seek opportunities to broaden my perspective through scientific research and intellectual discussions,” he explained.

“What attracted me to health sciences research is the burden of suffering from heritable diseases like sickle cell disease, hereditary deafness, and congenital heart defects that I witnessed in my community growing up. I knew that I needed to contribute to healthcare research. I have been at UCT for five years, and I have enjoyed it a lot. For example, the library and bus services are top-notch. The campus is always clean, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the students’ mental health was prioritised.”

Looking ahead, Polycarp will be seeking employment and considers starting an online platform to train others in R and Python for data analysis and visualisation.

“I dedicate the work to the IMHOTEP study participants and my late parents, Menaih Joseph Bebanghai and Yengeh Ester Bebanghai.”