WINDHOEK- After seven years of being a security guard, a 30-year-old woman has embarked on a journey to educate herself, becoming the first graduate in her family.
Although the ambitious Josefina Nalimanguluke Shivute just obtained a Level 4 certificate in Occupational Health and Safety from Tulipohamba Training and Assessment Institute, she is eager to study further and acquire more qualifications.
“This is not my end. I am looking for an opportunity to continue with my studies,” shared Shivute who said her company, Cymot funded her studies.
Being the second born of seven children, Shivute who hails from Otsalidi in Otamanzi constituency in Omusati region wanted to set an example to her siblings who dropped out of high school.
“I had to set an example to my younger siblings for them to learn something from me because I am the only one who has a Grade 12 certificate among my sisters. Some have Grade 8 certificates and some have Grade 9. We grew up in the village and didn’t understand (the importance) of education or taking it serious. The situation at home also made us go to school with no school uniforms,” stated Shivute.
She said what motivated her to study was when she was based at a shopping mall in the Central Business District (CBD) in Windhoek where she saw students her age frequenting the mall.
“That is when a question came to me and asked, till when will I be a security guard? That’s when I decided to register for a certain course but registering was a challenge as I didn’t have money,” she explained.
Shivute further said getting money to register was difficult as she is the breadwinner in her family looking after her mother and seven siblings. In 2017, she attempted to register at the Welwitschia University for hospital management but another challenge was that she had to do the course online and didn’t have a computer and access to the internet.
Hence, she dropped out of school a few months later.
Luckily, her company released financial assistance to employees who want to study and she decided to apply. Shivute said it was a challenge living in an informal settlement, knocking off late and having to foot to her rented shack. She encouraged the youth not to look at the problems they are going through and think it’s over. “You must stand up and do something. Believe in yourself, that is the winning mentality,” she said.