Julia Zwane (26) was born and raised in Welkom, Free State. She is a former Rhiza Babuyile IT Level 3 and 4 student, has a journey story that exemplifies perseverance and hard work.
Prior to joining Rhiza Babuyile, Julia left her hometown to study in Gauteng in 2015 and lived in Orange Farm with her sister. Julia had dropped out of her studies due to illness. At this time she felt directionless.
In 2019 she found out about Rhiza Babuyile, as the organization’s Skill Centre was located on her street. She was anxious about finding a job after completing her studies with Rhiza Babuyile but with the aid of the organization, she received a bursary to study Network Systems at Pearson Institute on Mandela Day. This gave her a sense of hope and optimism, and she went on to complete her studies in early 2021.
As a result of her time at Rhiza Babuyile, Julia became more outspoken and confident in her professional life. She upgraded her technical skills through her work and has become more detail oriented. She now studies more and runs her own projects to better her skills, and she feels optimistic about future opportunities. Julia’s experience has also influenced her outlook on life and thinking. She hopes to stay at Rhiza Babuyile while advancing her career and would like to move to a better place and own a vehicle. Furthermore, she aspires to run her own workshops to provide realistic work experience for students who come from similar backgrounds. Julia’s story highlights how Rhiza Babuyile is making a positive impact in the lives of young people, giving them hope, and helping them develop the skills they need to succeed in life.