It was a bittersweet moment for Nirvana Carelse (22) when she received her matric results and discovered she passed.
The journey to obtaining her National Senior Certificate (NSC) was long, with challenges, lessons and a few fails but that did not deter the young mom.
Carelse returned to school full-time in 2020 after failing Grade 10 twice in 2016.
At the age of 19, she donned her school uniform while being a young mother and looking after a sickly fiancé. H
owever, he died on Friday 6 January before Carelse received her matric results in more than a week ago.
“I grew up in Lavender Hill but was born in Athlone. As I grew up, I lost my grandma who actually raised me because my parents were on drugs at the time. So, I was back living with my parents.”
She adds that her parents has since been off drugs for more than a decade.
In 2014, Carelse began her high school career at Steenberg High School and started dating her late fiancé.
“When I went to high school in Grade 8 we started dating and then I failed Grade 10 in 2016. So I went to Lavender Hill High to repeat Grade 10 and my marks were better but that same year I fell pregnant.”
After the baby was born the young mother lived with her fiancé, but says the space was not a healthy place to live.
“We lived with my boyfriend and his family but there were also people doing drugs.”
During this time Carelse found work in Grassy Park but when Covid-19 hit in 2020 she decided to go back to Grade 10 at the age of 19.
“At the time my child became ill we rushed him to Red Cross Hospital. I was in and out of the hospital with him. Last year, was my final year of matric and then my boyfriend and I got engaged.
“In matric, I was doing odd jobs and then in July/ August last year my fiancé became ill.”
Working a part-time job, taking care of her fiancé and their child while also studying for her matric was difficult to juggle yet Carelse says she pushed through all the obstacles.
“My fiancé was sick at home, I had to look after our child, work and sit up nights to study. I had to study different hours and different times and my fiancé’s condition just got worse.”
And then tragically her fiancé died in January this year.
“It was hard for me and it was sad that he was not there when I got my results to see that I passed. God pulled me through everything.”
Carelse says her wish is to study further and to become a teacher.
“I am at home now and looking for work. It is difficult.”
She adds: “I want to study education and I want to work with children and become a teacher. I have a love for children, especially in this area where a lot of kids don’t have parents and many can’t read or write.”
Her message to others going through hardships is to never give up.
“I am very proud of myself. I struggled for so long and feel it is very important to have your matric. Always go for your goals even if you are a teenage mom, a drop-out or failed a grade, it doesn’t mean that you can’t start all over again because education is the key to success.”
