FunDza interviewed 10 Fantastic FunDza Fanz! Meet Agatha…
Agatha Mologadi, 29, has always found pleasure in learning and gaining new knowledge. This is one of the reasons that she loves to travel – to learn about people, cultures and languages. Falling in love with reading and writing has not only provided Agatha with more ways to build on her knowledge, but also with a new dream – to write about the places she travels to and the people she meets.
Growing up in a supportive community
The Mologadi’s are a close-knit family of three women – Agatha, her mom and her sister. What has been important to Agatha’s mother when it came to raising her daughters, was for them to be “independent and educated.”
Not only did Agatha grow up in a supportive family, she grew up in a supportive community too – a township in Gauteng. “There is a working together spirit. We work together and support each other.” Agatha goes on to explain that the community places emphasis on supporting the dreams of their children.
Agatha’s dream has always been to become a financial advisor. Like many young people in South Africa, Agatha is currently unemployed and having difficulty finding work, but that does not mean she has given up on her dream. “I love working with numbers and I want to help people,” she explains.
While not working, Agatha wanted to continue learning and building on her knowledge. She signed up to Harambee – a national network for all young people to access learning and earning opportunities – and through that she found FunDza. FunDza allowed Agatha to discover her love for reading and writing. “When I woke up the next day, I had a feeling of excitement. I wanted to learn more and I wanted to write.”
A quest to read and write had been sparked and Agatha had been provided an opportunity to build on her dreams. Encouraged by this feeling of excitement, Agatha started to write her first poem. The topic of the poem was one that people across cities, cultures and languages could relate to – the pandemic.
After writing and submitting the poem to FunDza, something happened that Agatha never imagined for herself. Her poem was published. “Because of them [FunDza], I am a published author.”
Realising that a hobby could become a career
Agatha’s love for travelling is a passion that she shares with her sister. Travelling is important to Agatha because it enables her to interact with people and cultures that she does not come across in her township. “It is good to learn about other people – to not only know your language and culture and to engage with other people.” This ties back in with “expanding knowledge” – a prevalent theme in Agatha”s life.
With the publishing of her poem, Agatha has been able to start imagining something which had never before come to mind. Now, along with wanting to become a financial advisor, Agatha dreams of writing about the places that her and her sister have travelled to. Writing about her experiences will allow her to share her knowledge with others – introducing them to people and places which are different to them.
We asked Agatha:
Why do you like reading on FunDza?
I read for pleasure and to gain information. After reading I feel positive about the future. I learn about other people’s talents and experiences.
When is your favourite time to read on FunDza?
I like to read in the morning. I also enjoy the Monday motivations. They keep me positive for the whole week.
What’s your favourite thing to read on FunDza? Or what’s one of the best stories that you’ve read? And why?
All that glitters is not gold. Because it is true, all that glitters is not gold.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time besides reading on FunDza?
I exercise a lot. I like to do aerobics
To read about the other 9 Fantastic FunDza Fanz, click here.
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