Defying the Odds: My Path to Success
Luthando Mabaso
My name is Luthando Mabaso. I come from a small township in Durban called Hambanathi oThongathi. At the young age of seven, I lost my mother, and because I have never had a relationship with my father, I was raised by my grandparents and my aunt.
For many years my grandmother was the sole bread winner for our family, she worked at a landscape company, cutting grass to make ends meet. Life was never easy, and we constantly struggled, yet we never went to bed on an empty stomach. It was incredibly challenging for my grandmother to put food on the table and provide for our school necessities. I would often have to rely on hand-me-down uniforms and clothes.
Being an orphan was not easy. Growing up under these circumstances, I realised that education was my only ticket out of poverty, I understood that I had to study hard, pursue a university education, and set a different path for my family.
Life threw me another challenge when I fell pregnant while in matric, many around me said this was the end for me, questioning how I could possibly finish school whilst pregnant. Their doubts and discouragement made me question myself, but I then came across an impactful quote that said: “To make no mistake is not in the power of man, but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.” This quote gave me the motivation to work twice as hard.
Despite the odds, I passed my matric and gained admission to university. The first year was incredibly tough. Every day, I had to travel by train from oThongathi to Umlazi, catching the 4:45 am train so that I could attend my first class. This was very strenuous for me, the journey was exhausting, and I had a baby to care for when I returned home. This routine often left me tired and struggling to stay awake during lectures, which got me into trouble with my professors for not participating. Yet, despite these challenges, I persevered and managed to pass my first year with distinctions. Graduating was the biggest milestone of my life. I was extremely proud of myself. I DID IT!
After graduation, people started talking again. Given the high unemployment rate in South Africa, I was told that the course I had completed at university had no job prospects, and that I would end up staying at home. Undeterred, I applied for a Software Engineering learnership at The AATE. I was fortunate enough to be accepted and was placed in a world-renowned international bank to complete my learnership. This was the breakthrough I truly needed. The 12 months I spent at The AATE were transformative, providing everything a young graduate in South Africa needed.
With the support of The Udemy Learning Platform and The Institute of Chartered IT Professionals (ICITP), The AATE equipped me with the skills to transition from being a fresh graduate to a young professional in the industry. I was allocated a mentor and a leader who were both incredibly knowledgeable and showed an immense amount of patience with me. My mentor would always say: “The sky is not even the limit; you can do anything and everything that you put your mind to.” This opportunity not only improved my technical skills but also provided me with invaluable professional experience, setting a solid foundation for my career in Software Engineering.
Today, I am proud to say that regardless of what people said, my determination and commitment paid off. I have earned the professional designation ITCP(SA): Software Engineer, and I am a registered member of the Institute of Chartered Information Technology Professionals (ICITP). I am now permanently employed at Investec, as a Software Engineer, the same organisation where I started my learnership.
