“I never thought I would go back to school,” narrates Moses Makwaya, a young and passionate journalist who graduated yesterday.
Story and pictures by Thomas Ngala
I never thought I would go back to school without finances, this is a huge milestone in my life, vibrant journalist Moses Makwaya who works for Kalemba said after his graduation yesterday.
Moses graduated with a Diploma in Journalism and Public Relations from Evelyn Hone College. Like many others, the academic story for the promising journalist has been full of challenges. What has made Moses to stand out is his determination, persistence and focus, among other things.
To kickstart his journalism journey, the 28-year-old was given a bursary which only catered for tuition fees.
He did not have any extra source of income. As a result, it was quite challenging for him to keep up with transportation costs, his stay in school and any other logistics.
Moses would sometimes walk from Lusaka’s Kabanana Compound to the College, which is over 8 kilometers away.
During examination times, the young man used to sleep in a friend’s car.
He narrated the experience to Daily Star Zambia’s Thomas Ngala in an exclusive interview.
“The first one was a small car that we used to sleep in whereby we attend classes…when we are done we go back and we rest in the car…then later on in the night, we go and study. That’s what we used to do,” he said.
“It was quite an experience whereby every time you’re sleeping in a car, the cold…it used to hurt especially when you’re tall and you can’t really stretch but you’re doing it for the sake of it. And I’m grateful that it paid off. Obed Lukando (this year’s best student in journalism and public relations at Evelyn Hone College) and I used to buy groceries.”
Moses further disclosed that he used to cook from the girls’ hostels near the clinic since that is where the car he used to sleep in was parked.
“It was a journey full of challenges but God has seen us through. Relatives and the church came in and they tried their best to support,” he added.
Asked what his biggest dream in journalism is, he said he didn’t want to just make a name as a journalist.
“I really want to make a change. I don’t want just be known as a journalist by mere qualifications. I really want to shake the industry,” he shared.
“My graduation is what I can term to be a testimony because it wasn’t an easy road at all. So I am thankful to God that I made it this far. My journey has been full of ups and downs.” This is contained in a report published by Daily Star Zambia.