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Sonia
Who am I?
I am Sonia, I am 21 years old, and I live in Cape Town, South Africa. I started working for 29FORWARD about a year ago and if I am not sitting in front of my computer, I like to sing and listen to music. I grew up in Malawi and growing up there was not as easy as it is in the western world. Malawi is a poor country and things that are ordinary in other parts of the world, like the access to study materials as a student is difficult – and always has been. My teacher would write notes for us to copy because we did not have enough textbooks and other materials therefore writing notes was the best solution for everyone to have the study materials.
As a student in Malawi, you must find your way to pass school, and you must work extremely hard to achieve your goals. My educational journey was not a simple one, I came from a household where no one was there to inspire me or show me the value of education in general and especially as a woman. But I had dreams that I wanted to achieve and was also inspired by my female instructor who gave me the motivation to focus on my studies. Where I grew up, it is normal for those of us who want to go to college or university to find that their parents are unable to pay their tuition – then the best and easiest solution for them is marriage. Especially girls are told that if they do not receive an education, they will be able to rely on their husband, so they basically do not feel the need to worry about that topic.
My (Not-So-Typical) Educational Path
As the first of five children I could not attend an expensive school like other students. But I am forever grateful to my parents for trying to teach me the most valuable thing that no one will be able to take away from me: to work hard to achieve my goals. When I was seven years old, I observed a woman typing on a computer and in that moment, I knew I wanted to work in the IT business. I do not know why but it was so motivating for me to see a woman working on a computer, I was fascinated by the way she looked and simply wanted to be like her.
After I graduated from high school in Malawi, it was time for me to join my parents in South Africa. When I arrived, I had to face a few challenges such as sending my metric results to the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) where they converted it to a grade 11 degree, which made it very difficult for me to find a university that would accept me since you usually need a grade 12 degree to attend university. I applied to so many universities but did not get in. Though that did not stop me, and luckily my parents decided to enroll me in a private college. I got into iCOLLEGE1 where I got a higher degree. When I graduated, they offered me a job – which I declined because I did not want anything to distract me from my studies. I then enrolled at Richfield College to complete my full degree and I ended up getting my bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. Today I can proudly say that I am working in a job that brings me joy and that the many sleepless nights and hard work were well worth it. I have worked fulltime for 29FORWARD as a Support Analyst Agent of DataStage and WhereScape ever since I graduated from university in 2020. And I’m enjoying every second since it is both challenging and intriguing, and to be honest, 29FORWARD is a great organization, especially when it comes to our senior management team.
My Journey at 29FORWARD
My journey at 29FORWARD started in 2020, with my friend Corneille, who happened to see they had open positions and sent me the links to apply. I just graduated and was job seeking at that time – but not successful, so when Corneille sent me the links, I was skeptical at first. I was exhausted from all the application processes and I was tired of being rejected by firms. It took me a few days before I finally decided to give it a shot and applied for all the available positions. An agent of 29FORWARD called me two days later to schedule an interview with me and a director manager of 29FORWARD. I was fortunate enough to get the job.
Knowledge Is Power
Education for women is an issue that is very dear to my heart. I want to address the importance and the power of education to us as women in our community, country, and the whole world. Female education is a broad word that encompasses a wide range of concerns and debates concerning elementary, secondary, and university education, as well as health education. Education benefits our life in every aspect. An educated woman is powerful and independent. Education supports women in becoming better citizens, obtaining a higher-paying career, and demonstrating the distinction between good and wrong. Women who have access to education are more politically conscious and confident in their abilities to lead, resulting in stronger and more informed female leaders who are more inclined to be politically involved. It teaches us the value of hard work while also assisting us in our growth and development. As a result, by understanding and respecting rights, rules, and regulations, we may help to form a better society to live in. Learning languages through educational procedures allows people to interact with one another and share ideas, expertise, and best practices. In brief, education teaches us how-to live-in peace.
The Power of Networking
In the end I think many things could have made my educational journey easier as I missed out on a lot as I grew up, not understanding how technology works, since I did not have access to networks or study materials online. I finished high school without understanding how to use a computer – and did not comprehend the significance of these networks in schooling. Overall, I consider myself to be computer and network illiterate. I believe global networks of low-cost multimedia computers, online-libraries and student-cantered “learning ware” can increase access to high-quality education on a scale that is currently unattainable. Such networks who could have helped me finding study resources online and get more information about the subject I was struggling with, and just make it more fun! Although this vision of the future is attractive, many of the details, methods, capacities, and even principles required to realize it are still not accessible. However, within and outside of traditional higher education institutions, there is an interesting ferment in the field and recent quick development on several fronts shows that much of this vision can be achieved – and sooner rather than later.
My Final Thoughts
For me personally, education has changed my thinking in such a way that I am no longer accepting mistreatment from anyone in society, and I have gained respect. Many women in South Africa unfortunately do not see the value in education and see it as a waste of time because they believe that once they marry, their husband will be able to care for them and their children. I recall someone asking me why I am not married yet and do not have children. Where I am from, marriage is valued much more than education. And I am not saying marriage is terrible, but it is not the only way. I would like to pass this on to other women, to encourage them to take their lives into their own hands to let them know that it does not matter what school they go to or whether they come from a wealthy family but if they put in the work and focus on their studies, they will shine one day. If I can do it, you can too! If us women can become more educated, we will understand that it is not the only way, and we will earn the respect we deserve and be able to afford the kind of life we desire. This is the only way we can make a difference in the long term. And that is the goal: educational equity in all parts of the world.
We at 29 FORWARD agree a lot with Sonia. We believe that everyone should be treated the same no matter the sex or heritage. There is still a long way to go, but if we all work together towards this direction, we can make a change.
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