Top honours for TARDI student with a poor background
The overall best student from the 42 students that graduated at Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute (TARDI) is ecstatic after beating all odds to earn top honours at the Institute.
Despite her remarkable performance and achievement Nobuhle Mtolo, 30, says she never thought she would become a graduate one day. She was among many talented students from predominantly poor backgrounds who were conferred their Animal Health Diploma qualifications by the MEC for the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, Nonkqubela Pieters in Tsolo. Mtolo said both her parents were unemployed and chances of ever making it in academia were slim.
“I’ve never thought that I could become a graduate, especially when looking at my background. Both my parents are unemployed but thanks to the bursaries organized by TARDI now I’m the first graduate in my family. I’m very proud of myself and I hope that others coming from the same background like myself can learn from me that you can make it,” Mtolo said.
She said she would use some of the stipend money received from her bursary to support her home. Speaking on behalf of the graduands, another TARDI student, Sinqobile Zulu said the farm skills they received from TARDI made a great impact in them, not only in their line of work but socially as well.
“I am now able to identify different cuts of meat at home and are able to tell them which one is which,”she said much to the amusement of her fellow graduands. “Unlike other institutions TARDI is great because it has practical skills, knowledge in this place is over and beyond,” said Zulu.
The institute has so far produced 248 graduates since it commenced with the academic programme in 2015. MEC Pieters said that the Cabinet approved the transfer of colleges of Agriculture from Provincial Departments to the National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in order to facilitate horizontal shift to the Department of Higher Education and Training. She said the transfer would allow the students of these colleges to access National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Pieters said the National Minister requested that these colleges remain in Provinces during 21/22 financial year.
She said in order to assist the graduates from colleges, DRDAR would carry on with Agribusiness Youth Incubation and Graduate Placement Programme. The programme seeks to create young agri-entrepreneurs to take advantage of opportunities in the sector. To date, 17 graduate interns have already exited the programme as they secured permanent employment.
Pieters said in the 2022/23 financial year, DRDAR has aside R10.9 million to support young people. She said the Bank is implementing agricultural insurance programmes in partnership with Walter Sisulu University where twenty agricultural college graduates are continuing with a two-year qualification on specialised agricultural insurance risk assessment training.
“This will widen their scope beyond traditional primary agricultural career to entrepreneurial opportunities. We expect these graduates to open their own companies and service the wider agricultural industry in the province,” she said.
Pieters said 50 graduates from TARDI were placed in Work Integrated Learning for a 12 month graduate programme. She said the Department has set aside a budget of R19.6 million for these TARDI and Fort Cox College for infrastructure development and upgrade. “A message to you graduands is that you should realise that whilst we celebrate today, this is the beginning of a real life for you. You have to prepare yourselves to face the world. It is a beginning of a change in your lives. Hopes from your families are high and never disappoint your parents, siblings and your respective communities,” she said.
TARDI Principal Nandi Ndudane said the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020 had tested both the graduands and staff but they had to be resilient, use webinars and online classes to ensure students got education equal to those before them.
“Our students are employable everywhere because of dedication of staff. We work hard to ensure our students are an asset. You are embarking on a journey and there are vast opportunities for you. You will be able to open your own animal Primary health services clinics,” said Ndudane.
Nompucuko Ngejane-Madywe aunt of Banele Modze, whose mother is a her mother is a street vendor, said she was happy because her niece from a disadvantaged home graduated and got her qualification.
“She is the first person in the family to get a diploma and we hope this will change the livelihood at home,” said Ngejane-Madywe.