Kunda Mando, Assistant Director in the Ministry of Education, wrote:
In the sport of Boxing, one of the most fascinating things is how a knocked down opponent manages to beat the referee’s count of ten. I don’t particularly like the sport, but I love its lesson in that moment when a seemingly beaten boxer refuses to give up by beating the count, sometimes with eyes closed by the opponent’s gloves. In that hard moment, it’s easier to throw in the towel and escape the pain.
Life has a way of testing your endurance. It will knock you down, sometimes more than once, but the true victory lies in getting back up every single time.
I’ve learned that life’s setbacks are not meant to make us stagnant but rather stronger.
For a long time, I missed out on opportunities simply because I wasn’t adequately educated. That reality taught me something profound; formal education does not just equalize, it restores and cements dignity.
To reach this point and earn my Master’s, I had to go back and rewrite my Grade 12 subjects, one by one, to improve my certificate. I did this whilst building my career in journalism.
I’ll never forget the feeling of walking into David Kaunda Technical Secondary School as an established journalist, sitting among younger students. All the while some people laughed and mocked. In that moment I shut them out and persevered. This was about me, not them.
Step by step, I earned my certificate, then my degree, and now my Master’s. (Master of Arts in Strategic Communication for Development)
To anyone who feels like they’ve failed or fallen too far, please hear this, start again. It’s never too late to rebuild. Ignore the naysayers, silence the doubts, and remain a prisoner of hope because in the end, God truly rewards hard work.
Today belongs to me and I am not even done yet. If I can do it, so can you, especially as a woman.
Stop regretting. Get up and go! The only way is UP