Becoming an engineer seemed like an impossible dream for Sandrah, a young woman living in rural South Africa. But when you are determined to realize your dreams, anything is possible.
Sandrah’s story is a story about working the hardest you can, to achieve an impossible dream. It is a story about how a mother’s love can be the greatest motivation. And first and foremost, it is a story about one of the most important and strongest forces in the world: passion.
Sandrah Ramalepa’s story takes its beginning in Marapyane, a small village about 200 kilometers from Johannesburg in South Africa. Here she grew up with her family in what is a typical village in rural South Africa. Access to basic amenities and services were limited or non-existent, and schooling was far from proper.
Subscribe to PII and receive:
Our long-established bi-monthly digital magazine *Process Industry Informer*, featuring exclusive articles, news and updates across the Process Industries, plus commentary from our three industry experts:
Sean Moran
Gavin Smith
Dave Green
PLUS:
- Process Industry Update — our weekly e-newsletter
- PII Podcast
- Special messages from our advertising partners
“We did not have any electricity, so I had to wake up early to make fire to boil water to bath. I had to walk 6 kilometers to school every day. When in school, we did not have textbooks to study, so I made sure I listen attentively to the teacher, so that I would not miss anything,” says Sandrah.
Sandrah was eager to learn anything she could. She knew from an early age not to take anything for granted, and that principle was especially clear when it came to learning. She had a strong sense of motivation, something she gained and evolved very early on. As with many such teachings, it came from home.
“My mum played a vital role in my life. Seeing my mother working so hard to make sure that we have food and school uniforms made me work even harder at school,” she says.
An inquisitive child
The hard work in school paid off, and Sandrah was getting noticed by her teachers. It was here, as a young girl in primary school, that she started growing an interest in engineering.
“I like to believe that I am very inquisitive. When I was a child, I used to ask a lot of questions like: ‘how does this thing work?’ We would learn about Thomas Edison and all those things, and I would say: ‘okay, how about I connect the lightbulb to the switch and see what happens?’ And that, fortunately, got me interested in electrical engineering,” says Sandrah.
Her interest in all things electrical engineering continued to grow, and she kept on working hard in school to get the most out of all classes. After finishing school, she had to leave Marapyane, as her opportunities had run out as it did for most young people in the village.
“There was no employment at all. Once you finish matric (which corresponds to finishing high school), you must go to urban areas to look for employment or end up herding cattle,” says Sandrah.
So Sandrah decided to move from the rural village to the nearest city, where she took the next step on her path to build a career in the field that she had come to love: electrical engineering.
The next chapter
When Sandrah moved out of the village and into the city, she was determined to become an engineer, and she felt relieved when she received the acceptance letter from the university to study electrical engineering. This was it. The impossible dream for the young South African woman was within reach.
Her mother once again stepped up and supported her daughter. Her mother had saved money on the side to help Sandrah with her tuition fees, and Sandrah was eager to register for the course. But on the way to register, she had a change of heart.
“My mother managed to raise R6000 (about 300 GBP) for the registration fee to go to engineering school, so on the day of registration, I went and completed the registration form, but on my way to the finance counter to pay the fee, knowing my situation at home, I was thinking: ‘If I take this money and register for the first semester, who is going to pay for my books and other study costs?” So, on my way to pay, I decided not to register,” she says.
Playing the system
And that could have been the end, because how do you pay for tuition, if you don’t have any money? That was the burning question that Sandrah had to deal with.
Close to the university, there was a technical college. Sandrah got curious and went by to enquire about the courses offered and, luckily, they had electrical engineering studies. She spent the entire night studying the course prospectus and coming up with a plan before she returned the next day and registered. She still had to pay the tuition fee, but she only paid for the first trimester. That was the first step of her daring plan.
“When you are like a top student, college will give your money back. So, the only way for me was to make sure that not only did I pass, but that I passed with good marks,” she says.
Sandrah’s plan was brilliant in its simplicity: She paid for the first trimester. If she were to pass this trimester, she would get that money back again. She would then take that money and pay for the next trimester and so on. A daring plan, because she could end up with good marks but not quite good enough for her to get her money back, and that would then be the end of it.
“Fortunately, I got distinctions in my first trimester, so I used that money that they gave me to pay for my next trimester, and every time I passed my modules, I got a refund from the college which I used to pay for the next trimester – until I completed.”
Achieving the goal
While studying, Sandrah also worked and evolved her practical skills as part-time service technician, but one day she got a call.
“I remember I was sitting at home, studying, when I got a call from Danfoss, who I think found me online, as I did not apply for a job,” she says.
The call from one of the top engineering companies in the world was that final step she had dreamed of back when she was just a young girl in a rural village.
When she finished her electrical engineering studies, she was offered to stay in the company as a technical support engineer, an offer she happily accepted. Her job was to provide technical assistance to both external and internal clients, assist customers in commissioning of the products and most importantly work closely with their service partners.
Since then, Sandrah has gotten more responsibilities and is a highly appreciated employee and colleague. As for Sandrah, the dream is still very much alive.
“You know it when you wake up every day looking forward to go to work. I would not have done it without Danfoss. They really helped me a lot to get to the level that I am. Now, I think I can compete with the best in the industry.”
