I got a job after a grueling 18 months of studying at Tukkies. Before this I have never heard of a field of study called meteorology. With good reason too, because this was neatly reserved for Whites under apartheid, but vestiges of this mindset were evident well into the early 2000s. Our assignment at Tukkies was to complete, in 18 months, a BSc Honours degree in meteorology and thereafter the South African Weather Service will give us employment. There we were, 12 of us drawn from almost all provinces, Black BSc graduates and unemployed. An outrageous claim is made up to this day that, this country is bereft of Black youth with the right skills and potential. What palaver! This group of 12 students approached this foreign subject with so much enthusiasm, so much so that it was such a mystery as to why Blacks were denied such opportunities in the past. Some lecturers were needlessly hostile to us, but that would not dampen our spirits. In the end we enjoyed the course and each others company. We soon discovered each others strengths, for example, I was better in computing, others were good in mathematics. We harnessed these strong points to the group's advantage. Of course there were fun times like when one of the group members, Michael disappeared for a full week and missed a final year oral examination. Nobody knew where he was. Michael was this free spirited guy from Nzhelele, Venda. Extremely bright, but never the type that worries too much about things. As luck would have it, Michael re-emerged and was allowed to proceed with his oral exam and passed with flying colours. He still works for the South African Weather Service. Midway through the course, another member of the group Jabu, had to cancel completely, because he had found a job that talked directly to his aspirations. The 11 that remained eventually passed the honours degree and were automatically employed by the Weather Service in its various departments. I was placed in the climatology department, the bulk of the group were sent to the forecasting department. About 2 were deployed in the research department.
It's tempting to see purpose in setbacks. While I wasn't selected for the Unit Head - Climate Change position after three applications, a PhD in climate finance feels like the right next step. The University of Pretoria will be my initial target, and I plan to spend 2024 developing a compelling research proposal. My initial interest in climate change governance has evolved towards climate finance, particularly timely with COP28 in Dubai. My city-based experience with climate finance projects has further piqued my curiosity. I'm eager to delve into the political motivations behind climate finance and explore frameworks for our city to better utilize these resources. Beyond the personal challenge, a PhD presents an opportunity to explore new career paths. While the future five years remain uncertain, my 20+ years as a climate change practitioner make this a natural progression, solidifying my expertise in the field. A long-held ambition is to document the city's envir...
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