There was joy when the top achievers in the Hlanganani South Circuit were given awards for their outstanding performance during the 2014 matric results. The event took place at the Tiyani Assemblies of God Church last Wednesday.
About 600 pupils from different secondary and primary schools in the area were ferried to the venue to receive certificates and trophies, while the top schools received cash.
A motivator, Pastor Striker Manganyi, told pupils how they had defeated the odds to become successful in life.
He said the pupils can only succeed if they worked hard, planned well and remained focused. The "role models" included engineers, businessmen and medical doctors from rural villages around the area, and all had a similar story to tell: "One can succeed despite one's background".
Marhorhwani Malali High was crowned as the overall best school in the circuit, with a 97.6% pass rate and received R20 000 and a trophy. Tshinange (second) with a 90.6% pass rate went home with R10 000.
The donor, Dr Nkhelebeni Phaswana of Kalahari Booksellers, encouraged the youth to take education seriously, so that they can face the challenges of the future with ease. He encouraged the parents to cooperate with the Department of Education and other stakeholders for the benefit of education in the country. He said it was important to set up realistic goals that could be achieved within a given period in life. "Failure does not necessarily mean that one has to stop pursuing your dreams."