MARCUS Zungu is a first year undergraduate student in BSc (Eng) Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town, a fact that is not remarkable on its own.
What is outstanding, however, is the fact that Marcus is an orphan from rural Zululand who could so easily have become a negative national statistic had it not been for his love of learning.
‘My family home is in Mtengu, Mevamhlophe, and six of us share a house which is quite primitive, in an area where the schools are basic and understated,’ said Marcus.
‘But for me, the joy that new knowledge gives, has always been the same as the joy that you feel when receiving a gift that fascinates your mind.
‘I found subjects that I would have to learn to love, in order to love to learn, and for me these subjects were Mathematics and Physical Science.’
Despite all the odds stacked against him, Marcus spent hours poring over his books, and managed to matriculate in 2012.
‘Our family had it hard. As orphans we really struggled to make ends meet and, over the past five years, we had seen most of our relatives pass away.
‘Obtaining food was a constant struggle and we had to have a very simple approach to living – usually making do with one small meal a day.’
IOP helps
He said that without the assistance of local NPO Izulu Orphan Projects (IOP), his life may have been very different.
‘They provided lunch for us, gave us a monthly food parcel and also clothed us.
‘For school, they provided us with backpacks, stationery, and uniforms at the start of the year.
‘At times, they would have gift-giving days – and as a child who had not ever received gifts, it really affected me.’
When he graduated from high school, IOP made tertiary school commendations for Marcus and assisted him with all the paperwork for bursaries.
In short, they believed in him.
‘I began my BSc Biochemistry and Botany at Unizulu and IOP continued tracking my progress and giving constant support.
‘This year, with their help and following excellent results I achieved at Unizulu, I was accepted to the chemical engineering faculty at the University of Cape Town – a dream come true for me.’
To date, IOP has supported Marcus every step of the way, and they are currently funding his travels to and from Cape Town for the semester break – back along the dusty roads to the little homestead where a future chemical engineer was born into an impoverished family.
