Exclusive: Agricultural Science Teacher Practices What He Preaches

Exclusive: Agricultural Science Teacher Practices What He Preaches

- Financial difficulties stood in the way of Ntoampe Mashamaite practising farming, a situation many are all too familiar with

- However, the student would go on to become a teacher and eventually fulfil his dream of farming

- Briefly.co.za exclusively discussed this interesting journey with Mashamaite in a recent interview

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By Manare Matabola: Freelance journalist

There has been a sharp rise in the number of South Africans flocking the teaching profession over the years.

While some leave the corporate sector for this profession, others, conversely, use it as a stepping stone to their other career interests.

Admittedly, only a few among the latter group do end up leaving the profession. The remaining pack are either crippled with responsibilities or acknowledge the job security and a host of other benefits that this profession accords them.

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Exclusive: Agricultural Science Teacher Practices What He Preaches
Mashamaite's journey was far from an easy one. Image: Supplied
Source: Original

A 29-year-old Agricultural Science teacher and farmer, Ntoampe Mashamaite fits the bill. After completing his BSc in Agricultural Economics at the University of Limpopo in 2015, lack of finance dealt his chances of practising farming a blow.

Ntoampe told Briefly.co.za in an exclusive interview:

“What prevented me from venturing into farming straight after Varsity is the lack of capital, as the start-up costs are very high."

When a chance to enrol for a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with UNISA presented itself to him in 2016, the well-rounded farmer from Moletjie Schoonveld didn’t have to think twice.

He knew from this very moment that his dream of ever owning a business was carved in stone.

“I never tried my luck with government funding, as I just wanted to wrap up with my studies, get a job so that I could fund myself, ” adds Ntoampe.

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Now five years into the field of teaching, Ntoampe has already managed to erect a smallholding in his yard, within which he grows over 150 egg-laying Lohmann chickens.

Though his primary focus is egg-laying production, he sometimes can be seen engaging in a wide array of agricultural activities such as preparing cattle feed, tilling his land with a tractor and tending cattle.

Also, being an agricultural economist as well as teaching the things that he practically specialises in equips Ntoampe with knowledge on how to vaccinate chickens against viral diseases such as newcastle, influenza and egg syndrome; without which he would have to fork out a sizeable amount of money compensating specialists.

When he is away on work during the week, his family sees out the rest of the work. But as soon as he becomes available on weekends and holidays, Ntoampe puts away his flashy suits, puts on his grubby work suits, and practices that which he always preaches to his learners at Ngakane Secondary School.

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Earlier, Briefly.co.za reported that a stunning woman, identified as Noluthando, recently took to social media to reveal that her success obtaining her qualifications didn't come easy.

Sharing snaps of herself in both a Spur and Pick n Pay uniform, Noluthando commented:

"Same girl, different roles to funding the “DREAM”. You do what you gotta do to get to where you need to be. Forever grateful for where God has placed me before & where I am now."

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Source: Briefly News

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