06 Nov 2016

In a remote settlement of Motshegaletau where success stories are few and sparsely distributed around the village, Patricia Gabotlale stands as a beacon of hope despite all the daunting challenges she had to ward off in her life journey.

Though she holds a Bachelor of Sciences degree in crop production, a qualification that could get her employment, Gabotlale has failed in her efforts to garner a job related to her qualifications and hence widened her dreams.

While waiting for the right moment to carve her dream life, 30-year-old Gabotlale partook in government internship programme after which she worked temporarily as a teacher at Sehunou Primary School, a move that spelt good fortunes for the Motshegaletau lass.

Since commuting from Motshegaletau to Sehunou daily posed challenges, amongst them late coming, Gabotlale bought a car with proceeds from temporary teaching before embarking on a tuckshop to augment the salary.

Living true to her dreams as a consequence of thorough thought and stock taking, Gabotlale then, under self-sponsorship, applied for general nursing at Serowe Institute of Health Sciences where the doors to employment are not yet completely shattered. She sold her car to augment proceeds from tuckshop and raise the required tuition fee.

Like any other self-sponsoring student Gabotlale has to be resourced financially to necessitate her survival by way of paying rent, buying food and looking all beautiful as an undocumented law of nursing students.

As a way of diversifying away from too much reliance on her tuckshop, Gabotlale delved into poultry farming to add into her revenue generating projects that would foot her academic bill.

Unlike others of her age, the nursing student has a busy schedule as a young mother who runs her businesses whilst simultaneously taking care of her studies , she nonetheless, is yet to fail any module ever since assuming her studies in July 2014.

However, she concedes that it is no easy being a super woman who cares for her three year old child, studies and business. No luxury whatsoever.

All her successes are attributed to determination, hard work and zeal to get to the beacon of success.

Though pursuing a career in nursing Gabotlale is of conviction that one of the days in her life she would buy a farm where her crop production training would be put to good use.

She encourages other graduates to take a first step towards betterment of their lives and shun reliance on parents and government. ENDS