KWABHACA-born former female football extraordinaire and sports fanatic, Koleka Makanda, has set her eyes on completing her PhD in Environmental and Water Sciences, specialising in Water Resource Protection.
Makanda (38) originally from Buffalo Nek, KwaBhaca (formerly Mount Frere), is in her final year at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).
She maintains that through the bursary made available by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), not even the sky can limit the hopes and dreams she has set for herself.
“I am one of the very few people in South Africa who can reach this academic level in their lives. Studying on its own is hard; it takes a lot of discipline, commitment, and a whole lot of money I did not have, until I became aware of the bursary programme of the Department of Water and Sanitation,” she says.
Makanda was awarded a bursary to further her studies in 2009, while she was still pursuing a post-graduate diploma in Integrated Water Resource Management at UWC.
“I must be honest, back then, I did not think that I would reach this level of my studies, but as fate would have it, I am here,” she added.
Makanda has been with DWS since 2010, when she joined as a graduate trainee, and currently works as a production scientist responsible for the coordination of water resource classification projects.
She currently has three published research papers, with a special focus on policy implementation for water resources protection, assessing feasibility of water resource protection practice at catchment level, as well as assessing the role of water resources protection practice for sustainable water resources management.
Besides her passion for the water sector, and her plans of contributing to finding lasting solutions in addressing the impact of water pollution, Makanda admits that football is her absolute love.
“If I were not in the water sector, I would probably be a soccer player. I have been playing football all my life, and I am pretty good at it too. Before I joined the department, I represented the country in international tournaments in Bangkok, Serbia, and Uganda with the national student teams through the University Sports South Africa (USSA),” she said.
Despite having her hands full with water classification projects, Makanda believes that young people, especially women, have what it takes to turn the tide in the water sector.
“My advice to them would be that they should not allow themselves to be confined by their communities, and to always dream big. While dreaming big is of essence, working hard is very important to ensure that your dreams become a reality. Education is the master key to achieving all that you have set for yourself,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, DWS has called on youngsters to make use of its bursary programme which is currently available for Grade 12 learners and students who will be in their first year of post-graduate studies, with an interest in the water and sanitation fields.
The bursary applications will close on November 30, 2023, and target learners with outstanding academic performance, financial need and the relevant skillset in the sector.
The application forms can be sent by email to bursaries@dws.gov.za.
For more information, students are encouraged to visit DWS website on www.dws.gov.za.
