“Be the change you want to see in the world,” this is what 17year old Peter Molepo intends to do with his life. Born and bred in one of South Africa’s largest and previously disadvantaged communities, Soweto, he sees formal education as a tool of improvement for his family and community at large.
Choosing a subject stream in Grade 9 was not a big hurdle for him as his fascination of the fourth industrial revolution had kicked in and is currently studying Physical Science, Life Sciences and Mathematics which he will be completing at the end of 2022 as he is currently in matric at Morris Isaacson High.
Knowing how important his goals and dreams are, he enrolled with The Tomorrow Trust Holiday and Saturday School Programme earlier in his school career.This was not only to improve his school marks; but to get more support in other areas of life
which directly affected his school performance hence he took part in the mental health
sessions, legacy exercises, and digital integration lessons.The Tomorrow Trust was the perfect solution for him as it a South African non-profit organisation that provides academic, career and psycho-social assistance to vulnerable children and youth.
He says from the sessions they had, his interest in 4IR magnified. It intrigues him as to how it has been able to make what once seemed impossible now easily attainable to those with resources and infrastructure. When asked why he is eager to pursue Mechanic or Electrical Engineering, he responds by saying “I want to be part of the people who are responsible for planning, designing and implementing intelligent solutions that resolve our everyday human challenges”.
He describes himself as an unreserved individual, inquisitive and a self- starter which will make him a great leader and professional. Peter is an active student in the programme, introducing new elements to their sessions and taking pride in how his school marks have
improved, from getting an average of 32% in Mathematics to now 60%.
“I am happy to have a mentor who guides me through my school and personal struggles, exposing me to mental and eager surveys that enabled me to know myself better and best
prepare for the career I want to pursue in university- all thanks to The Tomorrow Trust,” concludes Peter.
Another young student who is looking to pursue a career in Engineering is Hope Londiwe
Mabuza, 17 years old from Xubeni in Tembisa. She says she enjoys Mathematics &
Computer Applications Technology as it her brain active and improves her critical thinking skills. She is one to enjoy constant challenges as it trains her to keep an open mind and
accustomed to learning new skills, some qualities she finds important for the career for which she is aiming.
“I am studying 6 hours a day to get a 45+ APS score. I use Facebook groups to network
with people who are also interested in engineering and update myself of current news related to the career.” And she off to a good start, as she maintains an average of 72% in her Maths; CAT
This is what Hope is doing to prepare herself for a booming career as a Mechatronic
Engineer, which she was exposed to three years ago when she got the opportunity to job shadow a Mechanical Engineer for a few days. Hope supplements her self-studying sessions with the work she does with The Tomorrow Trust during the holiday and Saturday school programme. She has been with the programme since grade 09 and has never looked back.
One of her proudest moments was during last year’s competition when her team came up with an idea of a steering wheel that detects whether or not you are intoxicated. If you are,
the car will not move.She says she has the deepest desire to invent something that will change our lives for the better and win her awards, showing other children especially from her community that they too can be successful.
“I have always looked up to Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya the most excellent engineer
to ever walk on this Earth. With electrical, computer, mechanical and mechatronics
engineering, you get to build and bring brilliant ideas into reality.”, as she continues.
Hope is optimistic about her future and is confident that with the support of her family,
school and the facilitators at the holiday school, her dreams will soon become a reality.“I don’t think I would be where I am if it wasn’t for the support and help of programme and
dedication to my studies.’
