Yonela Ngcwembe, a 27-year-old environmentalist from Hamburg, never expected to end up doing what she does today.
But now, working for the Ngqushwa local municipality, she is responsible for environmental management in the coastal area.
She ensures beaches within the Ngqushwa area are clean, waste is managed, community services are provided, environmental awareness campaigns are up and running, as well as staying on top of admin work.
The University of Fort Hare graduate studied for a bachelor of science degree specialising in botany and microbiology.
Due to a lack of job opportunities after completing her degree, she returned to the institution to study for an honours degree in the same field.
I’ll forever be grateful for how the institution groomed me. I believe that’s where life and adulthood start
Ngcwembe said the institution not only taught her theory but also life skills.
“I’ll forever be grateful for how the institution groomed me. I believe that’s where life and adulthood start.
“You are challenged and at the same time are able to come up with ways to tackle these issues.”
Botany is the part of biology that focuses on plants, she said.
“We look at their physiology and anatomy, their environment and how they interact.
“Microbiology is the study of micro organisms such as bacteria, viruses — basically everything that we cannot see with the naked eye.”
After completing her honours degree, Ngcwembe was at home for two years hunting for a job.
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality gave her an internship in nature conservation early in 2022 and in September that year she joined Ngqushwa local municipality.
“My studies were relevant to nature conservation and sustainability, but I was also introduced to environmental management, which is very broad and I enjoyed it.
“I studied it and gave it my all until I applied for the Ngqushwa local municipality post, and then that was it.”
Ngcwembe said she did not regard herself as the smartest person in the room, but hard work and determination had paid off.
“As an average student when it comes to academics — zoology, calculus and microbiology were difficult but I had to choose one and risk it. I only passed botany with good marks.
“The only challenge I had with botany was the anatomy of the plants subject where you have to draw what you see, especially under a microscope, as well as oral presentations.
“It came with so much anxiety and stuttering, but I eventually became better at it.”
Ngcwembe said 80% of what she learnt in theory was applied in a workplace.
Some people asked her why she chose this career but she said her love for the course kept her going.
“On campus people would ask why I chose it and if I thought there would be many job opportunities in the field.
“I remember during our honours level, there were just four of us in our final year.”
Ngcwembe said people needed to go for what they were passionate about, despite how rare jobs in that particular field were.
“Life has no formula, whether you study something that’s in demand or something that’s not known, when it’s your time, it’s your time.
“It doesn’t matter if you get your job after five years, what matters is that your time will come.”
She said as someone who had recently made a debut in the work field she had experienced some glitches.
“Life as a young professional is not easy, but I believe it’s building and preparing you for the future. It’s teaching you to grow a thicker skin.
“But I’m grateful for every inch of it, as I am in pursuit of growth, where I am right now; I will definitely harvest something big in the future,” she said.
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