When I completed my education I was still young, I had not thought about what I really wanted to do. My first job was ‘A skin care consultant’, my skin was beautiful and would have convinced any one that it was as a result of using skin care products made by the company I was working for. However deep down my heart I knew that the products I was promoting had nothing to do with my looks at the time it was just I was young and was fortunate to have a smooth and beautiful skin. As a religious person this haunted me a bit knowing that I was actually not being honest and that did not sit well with my convictions. I worked for this company for about five years and then quit the job as I was not comfortable with what I was doing although it paid well
I then did a bit of voluntary work with the young farmers clubs figuring out what career I would like to pursue. I was heavily involved also with my church’s youth work who eventually employed me as a youth worker with out any training at all. One thing led to another, I attended various courses to do with working with people especially young people. Eventually I did go to college to study social work at Diploma level this was what set me on the journey I have been since.
Social work is very broad in the things one can pursue, I spent a few years as a youth worker which was great fun as I got to know what makes teenagers tick I enjoyed my job very much as it opened my mind to the world of adolescence which is a very fascinating phase I matured with job which meant that I moved on to another department which was training that too was very interesting and continued to shape my own life.
I have loved my chosen career path which has made me the person I am today and I strongly believe that I could not have been anything else except what I have been. My job has throughout been a life enhancing career as I worked with people within the context of the church, I found myself being drawn to issues of justice which have been part of things which make my job fulfilling. I then decided to study theology in my midlife at a Masters level which has added value to my work and making it more worthwhile. Every day I look forward to meeting new people and exploring together life’s challenges and at the end of each day as I look back to the events I would have been involved with I realise how fortunate I am to be allowed into people’s lives and being trusted with their personal lives and being made part of those lives is a priviledge that comes with what I do. there is no dull moment in the work I do, having said that I must hasten to say there is also a lot of pain as sometimes I feel very helpless as I expereince people’s suffering. Walking alongside people and their struggles make my life worthwhile I would not trade my job for any thing. I love what I do.
handikwani02 