Constance Matshidiso Lelaka from South Africa was reportedly a waitress and cleaner of the Sandton City’s Garden Court Hotel in South Africa about two decades ago.
ADVERTISEMENT
Determined hotel cleaner graduates with PhD from her scanty savings
Determination is said to be the key to success and this 43-year-old woman has just underscored that with her mind-blowing achievement.
Determined hotel cleaner graduates with PhD from her scanty savings
ADVERTISEMENT
Her mother who was equally a domestic worker wanted to see her daughter progress, so she advised her to save part of her earnings to further her education.
According to Tuko.co.ke, Lelaka had had the dream of doing social work since the tender age of 14, so upon her mother’s encouragement, she enrolled in 1996 for an honours degree in social work.
With the urge to keep going higher and higher she kept saving from her scanty earnings including tips during the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
ADVERTISEMENT
The indefatigable woman’s supervisor Professor Azwihagwisi Mavhandu-Mudzusi convinced her to pursue her PhD and she decided to give it a try.
She again damned all odds and enrolled for her doctoral degree in Literature and Philosophy in 2015 and joyfully graduated in January this year.
“I decided to apply for the PhD later in 2015 and I completed it in January 2019,” Lelaka disclosed.
Of course, she can’t work again as a hotel cleaner with her PhD. She is now a social scientist researcher at the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute.
ADVERTISEMENT
Her story is inspiring indeed.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh