Volume 65 December 2026-January 2026 : Readers Diary

Arise and shine Shapa! that is what I mummer every day when I wake up to the sounds of happy aspiring nurses and public health educators in Serowe Institute of Health Sciences (IHS) residential hallways. It was in 2008 when I first received my BGCSE results and the most painful and hurting moment it was for me. Painful sounds like an understatement of what I really felt. Utter devastation maybe close to the feeling I experienced. Tears were my buddy, day and night.

Before the results, I was positive I had reached the horizon of my dreams. However, my performance thwarted all that. The marks I got were not what I expected considering the fact that I knew I had potential to excel in everything I did. What hurt me most was that most of my age mates were going for the stars while I was not despite being my family`s last hope as none had gone as far as tertiary school, let alone senior secondary school. I was not hurting alone. Even my parents were very disappointed. Though they tried not to show it, I could tell they were shattered.

One day as I was mopping the floor alone in my room I heard my inner voice whisper “it is not over yet”. From that day my perspective changed. I told myself, Shapa you can do it again, you still have the potential. So rise and shine. Strength and courage suddenly overwhelmed me. The feeling of disappointment and shame disappeared like snow in the fall of summer. I saw that as a chance to prove that defeat does not mean that you are a failure.

Thus, I decided to resit for the exams. It was not easy though. My parents, especially my father was not happy with the idea of me writing again. He said it would just be  a waste of time and money. That since I failed the first time, the chances of me passing again were nil. I refused to believe that I was a failure. I did not allow my father`s words to discourage me or stop me from believing. I was truly convinced that it was not over yet until the fat lady sang. Even though I decided to resit, I knew I had a challenge before me - money. My father was the sole bread winner, so I knew how burdensome it would be, more so that I had other siblings who needed his care. What will I do? That was the echoing question in my mind. But I refused to fail.

Eventually, I took a brave decision to work under the Ipelegeng Programme, picking litter around the village to raise money. It was brave because it takes guts for someone my age to take such a decision. Seeing myself in the middle of elderly people picking litter was not an easy thing but I endured because I had a vision. I spent the whole of 2009 at Ipelegeng, earning P300 a month. At the end of the year, I had close to P2000 in my account.

In 2010, I re-sat for my exams (mathematics, English and sciences) and passed with flying colours - from 37 to 43 points - a complete turnover. Finally, I was admitted for general nursing at Serowe IHS. I became a peer educator, sensitising fellow youths that when plans do not work, change the strategy but never give up on the goal. The fat lady has not sung yet.

The fact that you have been defeated for the first time does not mean that you are a failure. You still have a second chance as long as you have faith as your driver. You can still do it again. Do not lose hope my brother, my sister. People might have told you that you will never make it in life. There is a giant that needs to be awakened. You are the best of you that there is. If anyone ever insinuates that you cannot achieve, just turn around and say ‘watch me`. Stay blessed with this message. When God says yes who are devil to say no? ENDS

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