There is light at the end of the tunnel. This may sound like a cliché but David Tshobotlwane can testify to the truth of these words.

David received his Masters degree in Construction Management at the 2006 graduation of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

He is humble about his achievement and is not shy to talk about the sacrifices he had to make to achieve his success.

It all started as a young boy growing up in Zeerust in the North West Province. “I don’t have parents and was raised by my grandmother. We were a family of fourteen. Our neighbour worked in quantity surveying and always told us of his experiences. I decided then that I would become a quantity surveyor,” said David.

Although David had big dreams, there was not even money to send him to school. In 1985 and in standard four, David was forced to leave school.

He went to work on a farm planting cabbages and later asparagus. “I knew I wanted to go back to school.

I remember I had a pair of black shorts. I cut a hole in the top part of my pants and put my money there. I remember sleeping with the pants as I was afraid that someone might steal my money.”

David’s sister left school when she was in standard seven and to him she was a role model. After working for four years he decided that he wanted to go back to school. His grandmother refused and David decided to go back without her permission.

The principal did not want to admit him without his grandmother’s permission but this young man was determined and decided to go sit in class. After a few days he was admitted to school. With the money he saved over the years he could buy his school clothes and pay his school fees.

His matric year was also not easy. There was no money to study. The dream was still there to be a quantity surveyor. “Social workers sponsored me to study teaching at the Lehurutshe College of Education.

After qualifying I got a post as a temporary teacher. I started saving to study quantity surveying. After my contract ended I came to the former Peninsula Technikon to study.”He passed his diploma cum laude.

“It’s all about planning. I spent Monday to Thursday at the library, relaxed on Friday and Saturday and studied on Sunday. I lived on half a loaf of brown bread a day. Although I was hungry I thought of my grandmother and how proud she was of me. That made me forget about the hunger.”

David completed his B.Tech in Construction Management. He received the Dean’s Merit Award as the top student for his diploma and B.Tech.

Dr Theo Haupt motivated him to do his masters degree. “I started in June 2004 with my masters degree and finished in December 2005. I had a job but came to campus every day after work. I used to be here till four in the morning. When it became too much I resigned from my job to concentrate on my masters.”

David now works as a technical facilitator for the Department of Public Works and has started to read for his doctorate. “Education is the key to success and I want to be a role model for the children of my community.”

He and four friends formed the Thuto Keboswa (Education is Wealth) Organisation to raise funds for local children to further their studies.

Written by CPUT News
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Ms Ferial Isaacs, a Radiography staff member who recently graduated with a MTech in Radiography (Ultrasound), coordinated private research in Ultrasound for her Masters Degree.

The research evaluated foetal growth during pregnancies of HIV women in Khayelitsha and Gugulethu clinics. Through this 18-month quantitative research process, she discovered that the foetal growth of babies born from HIV positive mothers do not significantly differ from those born from HIV negative mothers.

The results of the antenatal ultrasound findings also showed no significant difference when comparing foetal biometry, placental thickness and amniotic fluid index.

Ms Isaacs chose to do this study after completing projects in Retreat and Hanover Park where many women were HIV positive. Upon further research, she discovered that in 2002, 8% of pregnant women in the entire Western Cape were HIV positive, in comparison to the approximately 25% of HIV-positive women in Guguletu and Khayelitsha.

Her research was born from a genuine curiosity and a desire to do work that would be beneficial to the community. Ms Isaacs managed to raise R150 000 through sponsorship and donations for an ultrasound machine to conduct her research.

She took the machine to Guguletu and Khayelitsha twice a week, where she saw 40 patients a week monitoring the growth of their unborn babies. Ms Isaacs screened HIV-positive and HIV-negative women.

The outcome of this study suggests that there is no need to adapt clinical monitoring of foetal growth specifically for the HIV-infected women who were scanned as part of the research. This machine is now used for teaching.

Challenges faced during her research include the lack of knowledge about AIDS in townships, working at primary healthcare centres, administration difficulties and the drop-out rate of pregnant women who failed to return for continuous evaluation.

However, she was inspired everyday by meeting HIV positive women who, despite their status, are strong, positive and ambitious. There were many who had no partners and many who have not disclosed their HIV status.

The project taught her about research, compiling proposals, identifying potential donors, requesting sponsorship and being open-minded. She said, “You must have an open mind about research as findings are not always predictable. Remain focussed, remember your hypothesis and stick to it. Use the pitfalls in your research experience to learn from.”

Ms Isaacs thanked her sponsors that included the institution, the Mauerberger Foundation for the Solm Yach Fellowship and Safmarine for their support and contribution.

* Ms Isaacs is also running a training programme for ultrasonographers to provide a service in the Boland region.

Written by CPUT News
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