ONGWEDIVA – For many young graduates, obtaining a university degree represents the beginning of a brighter future. But for 28-year-old Pius Leonard from Oshindobe village along the Namibian Angolan border, graduation became the beginning of another difficult journey marked by hardship, sacrifice, and perseverance.

Leonard graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Namibia (UNAM) in 2021 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, a period that left thousands of young graduates struggling to find employment opportunities.

Coming from a poor background, Leonard says he entered university with one goal in mind: to change not only his own life but also the situation at home.

“Ever since I was young, I always wanted to become an engineer,” he said.

Growing up in a disadvantaged family, Leonard understood the importance of education from an early age. He completed his secondary education at Negumbo Senior Secondary School before pursuing his dream at Unam.

However, after graduating, life did not unfold the way he had hoped.

“After graduation, life became harsh. I could not just sit at home and do nothing, so I started knocking on doors at engineering firms,” he recalls.

Like many first-generation graduates, Leonard says the pressure at home became overwhelming as relatives looked to him for support and financial stability.

“As the first graduate in my family, expectations were very high. The pressure became too much,” he explained.

Despite his qualifications, Leonard says opportunities remained limited. He eventually secured employment, but the salary of less than N$5,000 per month was not enough to sustain both himself and his family responsibilities.

The situation forced him to make another difficult decision. In 2023, he returned to school and enrolled at the International University of Management (IUM), where he studied education and later graduated.

Still, Leonard admits his heart never truly left engineering.

“My heart has always been in engineering. Education is not really my passion. I only did it because I wanted to survive and support my family,” he says.

Although years have passed since his engineering graduation, Leonard says he continues searching for an opportunity within the field he loves.

“I still believe one day I will become the engineer I always dreamed of becoming,” he affirms.

He now hopes that companies within Namibia’s engineering sector, or professionals willing to mentor young graduates, will consider giving him a chance to prove himself.

“If I get a chance in engineering, I would gladly give my current post to someone who is truly passionate about education,” he declares. Despite facing rejection and disappointment over the years, Leonard says he refuses to allow setbacks to define his future. Instead, he uses his own experiences to encourage other young graduates who may feel hopeless after repeatedly failing interviews or struggling to secure employment.

“Failing interviews does not mean your future is finished. Sometimes life delays things, but that does not mean your dream is dead,” he says.

He encouraged unemployed graduates to remain patient, continue applying for opportunities, and avoid comparing themselves to others.

“Keep applying, keep trying, and never look down on yourself because things are not working out immediately. Your breakthrough can still come,” he said.

Behind his academic journey, Leonard says there are people whose support helped shape his life and kept his dreams alive during difficult times.

He particularly thanked Kalimbo Gideon, whom he describes as a father figure, for supporting him financially throughout secondary school when his family could not afford to do so. “I would like to thank Mr. Kalimbo Gideon, who fought for me from my lower grades. He became like a parent to me and helped pay for my secondary school education,” he says emotionally.

He also expressed gratitude to the teachers who believed in his potential and encouraged him throughout his journey.

“To every teacher who saw potential in me and encouraged me, thank you.”

Although Leonard admits there are moments when he feels he has not yet fulfilled the dreams people had for him, he says he has not given up.

And despite the setbacks, disappointments, and years of uncertainty, the young man from Oshindobe still holds onto the dream that first inspired him as a child, becoming an engineer.

–taimihaihambo2000@gmail.com