Health Science Reviews

by Precious Kunyenje

Listening to good girl by Lucky Dube with my father while he escorted me to the airport, is but the last memory I have from home. Where his words could not reach, music was the way he could explain what was in his heart. The mixed emotions he had, being proud of his child’s success for being admitted to the best university in Africa and the fear of letting the child go into the unknown was all I could understand from the song. We spoke less but we knew we would miss each other.

Looking back, it’s been almost a year now since we saw each other, and I miss my family. It has been quite an experience being far from home and living in Cape Town. While fear was certain, the excitement of being in a new school, a new city was amazing. I love the environment, the school, and the friends I have made along the way. Life has ups and downs, and I have had my bad days through this period. Academic stress, financial hardship, homesickness, and loneliness have been part of my life, but I am grateful to the UCT family, my friends, and my lecturers for their continuous support. Without them, it could have been a living hell staying in Cape Town.

Being away from home and from people, you used to see every day can be challenging. But sometimes to grow, we need to come out of our comfort zone and grab the opportunities provided to us by life. I am happy I took this opportunity to come to UCT and have this wonderful experience.