03 Sep 2014

Looks can be deceiving. To a stranger, Otsile Mphethe comes across as a typical vibrant young person, ensnared by the pleasures of life. 

Sporting a trendy mohawk haircut, black Levi’s jeans, a pair of black and white snickers with an equally marching red jersey with black stripes, the 20 year old Kanye native is a man on a mission.

This reporter met this dynamite during the Jwaneng Charitable Golf tournament recently. Armed with only a junior secondary school certificate from Morama in Jwaneng, Mphethe’s childhood vision of furthering his studies and becoming a philanthropist remains as clear as day.

Poor academic results, let alone lack of employment seem not to have dampened his spirits.  He is determined to live his dream one day and leave a legacy behind.

“My dream is to one day help the less-privileged especially orphans because government cannot do it alone,” he says, with his mind clearly set on the future.

To show his tenacity, Mphete secured temporary employment last year in one of the companies engaged by Debswana at Jwaneng mine to raise funds to register for Mathematics and Science; the two subjects he felt robbed him the opportunity to proceed to form five.

He did not stop there. 

He went further and engaged a tutor to drill him more on the two subjects to prepare him for the final examinations slated for end of the year.

There he was, carrying a seemingly hefty baggage of Gold Clubs for an amateur golfer; something he posits does not only keep him busy, but earn him a quick buck as well.

“Coming here on weekends to assist golfers also helps relax my mind,” he says of his newly found love. He says being a caddy goes beyond just carrying a bag around a golf course.

“A solid relationship between a golfer and the caddy has to be established for one to serve well as a caddy. You also have to have an idea of the game, offer sound help and morale support to the golfer on the course,” he states.

Moses Goto, an amateur golfer, described Mphethe in one word, “organized.

"Being a golf caddy has not only brought him closer to amateur golfers, but has presented him with a big break to learn a trick or two about the sport that Tiger Woods has endeared to him.

Mphethe’s eyes are not only fixed on being a caddy as he cherishes turning professional one day and becoming a golfer of repute.  The preliminary lessons that he has started says it all. He surely is an inspiration to many of peers. ENDS