The Philosophy of a Village Boy – Reflections on knowledge, science, spirituality, identity, and life, from a man whose questions began in the village

Post 21: When an Internship Has Served Its Purpose

The financial relief I received during my Master’s changed what was possible. Towards the end of my master’s first year, I was still working on the municipal street-cleaning and greening project. My first year of master’s study overlapped with the second year of that project, and the two-year contract we…
Post 20: Does Hard Work Really Pay?

A Reflection on Posts 13–19 Looking back at Posts 13 to 19, I keep returning to the saying “hard work pays.” I believe in hard work. But looking at my own journey, I am not convinced that hard work alone is enough. There must be something you are working towards.…
Post 19: I Could Not Afford to Quit My Job

I had finally registered for my Master’s at North-West University, Mafikeng Campus. Registration solved one problem, but it didn’t solve the one that had followed me throughout this journey: I still couldn’t afford to relocate. Fortunately, my Master’s was by research. There were no regular classes that required me to be…
Post 18: The Interview I Could Not Afford to Attend

The municipality gave me a lifeline, but not yet financial freedom. The stipend was not enough to solve the problem that had prevented me from applying for internships and entry-level positions in the first place. Then, towards the end of the year or early the following year, I received another…
Post 17: When the Municipality Finally Called

After submitting our handwritten CVs, nothing happened immediately. Our names were far down the municipality’s volunteer list. We had seen that ourselves. But whenever my friend and I happened to be in town, we developed a habit. We went to the municipality. We would ask whether there had been any…

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