"Have you ever felt unable to take yourself out of the challenges you are currently facing? Have you ever wanted to achieve something but felt unsure as to where and how to begin? Well, I know all that from personal experience."
A 41-year-old resident of Zamenkomste village, Matshudeni William Tsedi, answers some of the hard questions that many of those who desire and are thirsty for success tend to ask themselves.
"I was born on a farm along the Vivo road and spent most of my youthful days on other, different farms," he said. "My upbringing in poverty on the farms had taught me resilience, hard work, responsibility and to face life's challenges head-on."
However, it was hard work and a sense of responsibility that saw him finally matriculating with a university endorsement in 1996 at Marumofase Secondary School at Indermark, despite having dropped out of school twice. His willingness to better his life and faith in his abilities saw him graduate with distinctions in physics and chemistry for his Higher Education Diploma, conferred by the University of Limpopo.
"I believe in the potential of others, and so I initiated a project at Ramatau High School to enrol Grade 11 and 12 learners in higher grade mathematics, starting from 2002," he said. "I worked as a teacher for three years and later left teaching to study metallurgical engineering at Vaal University of Technology."
His analytical skills, hard work, determination, strong will and patience melted obstacles on his way to obtaining awards such as the best first-year metallurgical engineering student in South Africa in 2005 and an award by the South African Institute of Foundrymen. He was later employed in the mining industry as a metallurgist.
"It is the learner approach in me that had influenced the company to grant me acting opportunities in an operations manager role on a number of occasions," he said. However, Tsedi currently teaches mathematics and physical science at The Haven Academy in Tongaat, KwaZulu-Natal.
He is also the author of two books, one of which is called The Power of Taking Responsibility, where he shares his full career story and lessons learnt. He can be reached on 072 610 0235 or matshudeni.tsedi@gmail.com.