FourSeeing The Past

Ayanda Dlamini
Ayanda is a quiet, reserved, youthful 19 year old from Mzimkhulu in rural Kwa- Zulu Natal, however her home right now is Adelaide Tambo house. She’s in her jeans and a bright orange jersey with a little flower in her hair. She sits on her bed as she points at the chair for me, she really cannot stop smiling.
Raised by her grandmother, in the rural quarters of Kwa- Zulu Natal Ayanda had little exposure to spoken English as isiZulu is the chief means of communication in her home and community. Zulu was also the medium of instruction, throughout her pre tertiary education.
Ayanda, a bright and witty pupil decided to apply for admission into the Pharmacy faculty at Rhodes and other leading Universities. She had heard of the high quality of education and fortunately Rhodes was the first institution to reply to her application. Being the first child in a clutter of three Ayanda was thrilled and immediately commenced her preparations to attend this esteemed establishment. Little did she know however that the degree she was offered had absolutely nothing to do with her initial career choice. Rhodes had offered her a place to study a Bachelor of Arts degree, which, due to her lack of understanding of such matters, she mistakenly took to be a pharmacy related course.
After a long anticipated wait, Ayanda finally arrived in Grahamstown and was touched by the warmth of the people who helped her find her way around. Come registration day this eager student was one of the first in line to sign up for her new occupation. She arrived at the registration desk, and unclear as to exactly what Bachelor of Arts was, she enquired from the academic officer on duty and the explanation she got was a bit of a shock. “I just wanted to pack my bags and go back home...” says a still smiling Ayanda, the disappointment in her eyes still evident. She queried the officer on how she could sign up for a science related course as pharmacy was her passion, however she was rudely instructed that she was obliged to study a B.A. presumably stipulated by the financial aid office. With little power or ability to communicate verbally with this spiteful, unhelpful lady, Ayanda signed her registration form and left.
Ayanda was distraught; her first day of lectures was torture. The Lecturer seemed to be out of an American TV. show and she had no idea what her fellow students were ooohing and aawing about. She didn’t understand what was being taught and she didn’t dare raise her hand to clarify this magnitude of new ideas being displayed on the projector screen. A timid shy girl, Ayanda was intimidated by the large number of students from all these walks of life, “I had never seen so many white people in the same room in my whole life,” she says, with a touch of colour, in her cheeks.
As the days went by, Ayanda started making friends who were a lot more familiar with the whole Varsity movement and she learnt quickly, the basics of her courses. Nothing has changed her interests; however, she still plans to switch to pharmacy as soon as she is given the chance. She says the only thing she appreciates from Rhodes so far is her computer lessons, having experienced the wonders of this amazing machine for the first time in her being, during computer literacy class.
It’s difficult to comprehend the reason for her radiant grin, going by the social injustices she has faced, since her arrival at this institution.