Life is never is
never so stagnant but it is so dynamic that XOLISWA MAVIS MABAYI finds herself
moving from a theology class to farming far away in the
Eastern Cape. The former Bible study
girl will soon be getting her hands dirty as she toils in the pig sties making
sure that South Africa eats. She spent four years studying the Bible but was
not fulfilled. After some time working with vulnerable children and after a
horrendous rape ordeal she now bounces back to feed the nation food, not the
word of God. She speaks to Thembi Masser while munching on a raw pumpkin on her
exciting new venture.
In December of this year she is going to Engcobo in the
Eastern Cape to learn about farming. Her fascination with farming is not new
and it is not because of the farmer she met after a funeral earlier this year.
Her deceased, aunt, Vangile Kweba, was
an astute farmer. Her farm still supplies the local Spar supermarket in Engcobo
with farm produce up to this day.
Xoliswa, now 27, used to visit the farm during the December
holidays. Her aunt would then take them for a tour around the farm to show them
her successes. But even during those days she was not even remotely interested.
As a city girl she was only interested in glamorous occupations. Little did she
know that years later she would return to the farm as an interested partner.
She is now eager to get her dirty and feed the nation while making money for
herself.
“I suppose my college business studies will be handy when I
eventually do farming,” she says softly. Xoliswa is reserved and cool, if not
out right shy. But it was at Wordsworth High in Benoni were her dreams started
taking shape. She wanted to be a nurse, probably because of the influence from
her maternal grandmother, Mavis, after whom she is named. But later she wanted
to be a lawyer but eventually she chose to study theology at Theological
Education by Extension College (TEEC) in Rosettenville in
Johannesburg.
She decided to study theology probably of the influence from
her work at the Charles Wesley Methodist Church in Daveyton where she was a
keen member. She spent four years at the
TEEC. She dropped out after she was raped twice by a trusted family friend who
was a ‘father to me.’ “Another reason I dropped out is that I fell out of love
with theology; it was no longer interesting and when I was with friends it was
always only me doing the odd occupation studies. Theology was not glamorous,”
she laughs, embarrassed to such an observation.
But before TEEC she studied for two years at Ekurhuleni East
College for FET after failing her grade 10 at Wordsworth. Her parents were
devastated that their model daughter failed a grade, but supportive
nonetheless. At Ekurhuleni College she did a small business management and
economics, office practise, computer typing, business English and sake Afrikaans courses. “I failed in the
year in which I failed a career questionnaire.
“I was an interested learner at school although my
confidence dipped when I was in high school. However, I was a member of the
nature conservation club and was also an English Olympiad.” She also did cross
country and shot put at primary level. Later when she was at high school she
developed a liking for tourism. Maybe this was because tourism was one of her
darling subjects at school. The other was Afrikaans.
After leaving theology she went on to work as a care-giver
at the John Wesley Community Centre (JWCC). Her work involved working with
orphaned and vulnerable children. “Now I am leaving the centre this December.
The man at the funeral really impressed on me the positives of agriculture and
I am giving it all my energy. You see, things are no longer the same here at
the JWCC attraction to go into farming came at the right time.”
Her younger cousin has a qualification in agriculture and
this motivates Xoliswa. “I am going to get my hands dirty. Africa is lazy;
otherwise her children wouldn’t go hungry. While yes, agriculture is not
glamorous like theology was, it is prosperous, rands and niaras beckon for me.”
She concedes that it will be a cultural shock to leave
Gauteng for the rural Eastern Cape, but it is worth it. The future, she points out, lies
with agriculture and that is why “I want to own my farm one of these days.”
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