While many students at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) rush between lectures each day, few realise that one of the gardeners maintaining the campus is also pursuing his own academic ambitions.

At first glance, 29-year-old Lucky Themishi Maebela appears to be just another member of the grounds maintenance team.

Dressed in brown overalls, he spends his mornings caring for the university’s gardens and walkways. But once his shift ends, he exchanges gardening tools for textbooks and lecture notes.

Journey

Maebela is currently completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Family and Child Studies after earning a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Psychology, Philosophy and English.

For him, education represents far more than a qualification.

Raised in Kgautswane near Burgersfort in Limpopo, Maebela faced significant challenges from an early age. As a learner at Mathafeng Secondary School, he travelled about 14 kilometres daily to attend classes. Despite the obstacles, he understood that education could create opportunities beyond his circumstances.

After matric, he moved to Tembisa in Gauteng in 2018 in search of work. However, his plans were abruptly disrupted when he was struck by a taxi while crossing a road to submit a job application.

Setbacks

The accident left him with severe facial injuries and visible scarring.

“People would look at me and become scared,” he recalled. “Sometimes they would move away from me before even speaking to me.”

The experience affected many aspects of his daily life. He said strangers often judged him based on his appearance, while simple tasks became emotionally difficult.

Unable to continue the life he had built in Gauteng, Maebela returned to Limpopo to recover. Determined to improve his future prospects, he made the unusual decision to return to school.

At 23 years old, he enrolled in Grade 11 at Matshaile Secondary School in 2020. Although he was older than most of his classmates and sometimes faced ridicule, he remained focused on his goal.

To support himself, Maebela lived on a social relief grant and saved carefully. Together with his younger brother, he also started a small business using a chainsaw to complete odd jobs in the community.

Future plans

His perseverance eventually caught the attention of a local social worker who encouraged him to apply for university.

When UWC accepted his application, it marked a turning point in his life.

Today, while balancing work and studies, Maebela continues to pursue his academic goals. His current gardening contract is due to end in June, but he remains optimistic about the future.

One day, he hopes to earn a PhD and expand the Rise and Be Seen Youth Development Foundation, which he established to support young people through education, crime prevention and mental health awareness.

“I want young people to know that their circumstances don’t define them,” he said. “No matter what happens to you, you can still achieve your goals.”

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