BY Nkosazana Ngwadla
At just the age of 16, Dr Babalwa Tyabashe Phume gave birth to her daughter, while she was in Grade 11 – her situation was hopeless.
Growing up poor and in an under-resourced community, she was told by a lot of people (friends, family, classmates and teachers) to drop out of school and focus on motherhood, but she didn’t listen, instead she was determined to stay in school and study.
Against all odds, Babalwa passed Grade 11 with great marks that allowed her to apply at different Universities.
In Grade 12, the young mother’s situation took a turn for the worst when her young child fell ill. She missed tests and classes in the first term. Again, she was advised to drop out of school and focus entirely on taking care of her baby, but she refused to give up.
Babalwa later passed her matric with flying colors and received a scholarship to further her studies.
In 2014, she obtained a Bachelor of Social Work from University of Johannesburg; followed by a Masters in Child and Family Studies from the University of Cape Town in 2019. In July 2023, Babalwa graduated with a PhD in Psychiatry and Mental Health from the University of Cape Town in July 2023.
Dr Babalwa Tyabashe-Phume is the Founder of Social and Mental Health Consulting. She is an Associate Researcher at the University of Exeter and a Research Project Manager at the University of Cape Town.
“Growing up poor and in an under-resourced community I became a statistic of teenage pregnancy, I was a ‘disappointment’ to my family and teachers. But I’ve always wanted to be a doctor and I knew it was going to happen one way or the other.”
“Through it all I persevered, I held on, I pushed forward and I made it here with the support of my family and friends. Now, 16 years later I have my daughter with me, supporting me and seeing my dream coming to fruition.”
“I dedicate this PhD to my daughter, who has been my constant motivation. I never gave up because of her,” said Dr Babalwa Tyabashe-Phume.
Image: LinkedIn
