Quencilia Nozipho Njomo is an ASRI fellow, an Equal Education finance intern and an Uncedo Day Care Centre committee member as a treasurer. Having lost her parents at an early age, Nozipho participated in developmental training programmes that catered for orphans, where she grew her love for social development, mainly focusing on enhancing the lives of the disadvantaged. With an interest in entrepreneurship upon her completion of matric in Cultura High School, she participated in New Venture Creation programs that aimed at developing small businesses. Working hard and straddling part-time jobs, Nozipho eventually obtained a Diploma in Accountancy from the University of Johannesburg. Nozipho aspires to provide the disadvantaged with a facility that will cater for educational and developmental programs.
Responding to an ASRI learnership questionnaire, I was intrigued to see questions that made me dig deep into my other achievements, my goals and social activities, I could not imagine what the programme might entail.
Being a strictly commerce student, to receive the knowledge about how the government works, political studies, philosophy, psychology on a formal platform from academically well acknowledged people like Albie Sachs, Steven Friedman or Ruby Patel was a priceless lifetime experience. Considering my interest in the social development, and psychological well being of the community, hearing from different organisations that continue to fight different causes ignited a fire in me to want to know more and ASRI gave me the platform to learn that more. The training provided assists in being able to research, analyse, identify, communicate and provide solution and has greatly assisted me with emotional intelligence and equipped me with new skills.
Basically, ASRI is the bridge between being a graduate and being an employee/employer. The knowledge provided does not stir you into a certain direction, yet it assists you in finding your direction and helps you through it, which has a great impact in one’s life and future. With the greatest support from the facilitators, ASRI provided me the opportunity of doing an externship with Equal Education, an organisation that fights for the quality and equality of education which aligns with my aspirations.
The emphasis of turning contacts to contracts is a remarkable one, for some contacts are the help we need to receive contracts. The relationships created amongst colleagues allows for a platform to for ask help if need be. The impact the programme has in your networking skills, in identifying opportunity, is one that can only be a good seed to a great future. I love that it promotes the greatest quote “Knowledge is Power”, not forgetting the importance of mental and emotional well-being because when you feel good, you do good and good happens to you.