By Bronwyn M Singh
In June 2021, Newcastle residents got to know about Iziphosonke Mlambo from Osizweni who was desperately trying to raise funds to get to California. The Newcastle High School matriculant had secured a scholarship with the world renowned Biola University to study medicine but did not have enough money for his plane ticket and health insurance which were not covered by the scholarship.
Through desperation, Mlambo then turned to the Newcastle Express in a bid to have his story told and in turn, raise funds for his ticket. It was then that an anonymous donor kindly gave the academic R20 000 towards his ticket and thereafter many more donated. His family managed to obtain a loan and fill in the remainder of the money and Mlambo then jetted off to the USA at the end of July 2021.
Fast forward to a year later and the medical student has now completed his first year of studies and has made an impact on his campus, being one of the most popular students. Mlambo has managed to maintain an A aggregate in all of his subjects and looks forward to specialising in Gastroenterology.
As his first year on campus drew to a close, many of the students were getting ready to fly home for the holidays with Mlambo anticipating spending it on campus, not knowing when he would return home for a visit. However, unbeknownst to Mlambo, his campus buddies got together and raised funds, enough to buy him a return ticket to visit his family in South Africa.
Speaking to the Newcastle Express, Mlambo said he was humbled by the kind gesture. “I was lost for words and humbled. I couldn’t believe that my friends, who are now family from campus, would be so kind and generous and actually raise money so that I could come back home to my family. It was very emotional and I am ever so grateful to them,” he said.
Mlambo spent a total of three weeks in the country and thoroughly enjoyed South African food. “It was amazing to finally get to eat some home-made food, simply because the culinary experience in the States is so different. They don’t even have boerewors.
“These three weeks have just flown by and I’m glad that I got to spend it here. I do wish that I had a bit more time, as I did not get to see everyone. Also touching down in the country, I had a truly South African welcome. As I got off my flight and met my family at the airport, I had to study on the drive home from OR Thambo for an exam that I had to write at 8pm. As soon as I got home and began my exam online, loadshedding hit,” he recalled while laughing.
A few minutes before he could finish his online exam, Mlambo’s laptop battery eventually died. “Fortunately, I finished enough for me to be graded on what I had already completed and my professor was very understanding,” he said.
The med student jetted back to the states on 6 June and arrived in California on 8 June, but not before paying the Newcastle Express a visit. “Once again I am so thankful to all who made this journey possible as well as the Newcastle Express and I look forward to returning to my country to make a difference in the healthcare system,” he said.
