19–year–old Lesego Mahlatsi from Sharpville outside Vanderbijl
Park has defied the odds and produced impressive matric results with
distinctions obtained in pure Mathematics and Physical Science.
 
Mahlatsi lost a mother when he was nine years old and was
raised by his maternal grandmother. He does not know his father, they have
never met.
 
“I appreciated the fact that my granny was there for
me, I realised that only education can enable me break boundaries,” he said.
 
Mahlatsi is a foster care beneficiary, while at school
the Gauteng Department of Social Development placed him with a Non-Profit
Organisation (NPO), Asibavikele Support Group which is situated in Sharpville.
This NPO assisted orphans and vulnerable children with school work and provided
them food.
 
“I am grateful that self-sacrifice, discipline,
determination and hard work I invested during my matric year paid off, it turned
into joy. I sacrificed time for friends and time for TV. But again, the
performance that I produced in 2017 was magic and beyond my expectations, yes,
I expected to pass but not with distinctions”, he explained.
 
A determined and energetic young Mahlatsi was
initially enrolled with the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) in 2018 where he
was studying Biological Science (BSC) before enrolled to UCT 2019, where he
feels he is now fulfilling his dream of becoming a Doctor.
 
Asked about the switching of universities, he said “I have
always wanted to be a doctor, I want to help other people.”
 
“Even though some people feel that I have wasted time
with Wits, but I don’t feel that pressure, I am still young and energetic, I am
still having many years to invest in education, I want to become a doctor” he jabbed.
He said he enrolled with Wits because he could not find space in 2018.
 
He is currently a student studying Medicine in the University
of Cape Town (UCT). He says they used to receive food parcels and school
uniform from the department but he now eager to change that situation.
 
“I never thought that one day I would be studying in the
mother city but here I am, only through hard work, it is true that education
can take you places” he added.
 
He admits that it takes discipline to keep all the
balls successfully in the air. Lesego wholeheartedly expressed his gratitude to
the Centre and the department for guidance, motivation and unconditional support
they provided to his family.
 
As he concludes Lesego said after completing his studies
one of his priority is to contribute to the people by give back to his
community of Sharpeville as a young doctor and doing community work.​