Omolemo Molaso

Nominee's Province:
North Cape

Age:
23

Project Name/Description:
Academic

More info:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/omolemo-shamine-molaso-539a97209/

In May this year, Omolemo Molaso, 23, graduated cum laude with a National Diploma in Economics Management and Analysis from the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). What made Molaso’s academic achievement even more remarkable is that she has a visual disability. Molaso, who hails from Batlharos, Northern Cape, was born with high myopia and amblyopia, a condition that affects vision and causes blindness. But she has no intention of allowing her disability to hold her back nor define her. At TUT she really applied herself in her studies. “My entire first year I was always at the library. Everyone knew that I was the library girl,” says Molaso. “Due to Covid-19, I would use the disability lab and even go to the auditoriums to study.” Surrounding herself with the right friends and never being afraid to ask for help also contributed to her success. At the disability lab she became friends with a certain Ivy Morulane, who “encouraged me to work harder and affirmed that I could achieve whatever I put my mind to”. At the moment Molaso is studying towards an Advanced Diploma in Financial Management (CFA) while also being enrolled in a learnership. Her ultimate goal, though, is to study towards a PhD degree and someday become a full-fledged economist. Molaso is grateful to her family, particularly her mom and late dad, for giving her a solid basic education, the basis of her academic excellence. She advises other youngsters not to let any form of disability hold them back from realising their dreams. “Disability is just like any other condition you have to live with. Do not undermine yourself because of your condition. You are more than capable of doing whatever you want. I am living proof of that,” she says.