My name is Matabo Flatela. I was born and raised in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. I am currently doing my second year in Dietetics at Nelson Mandela University. My ambition is to be a qualified dietitian in order to align medical knowledge with the overall management of health challenges. Growing up as an obese child and having family members suffer from nutrition related diseases inspired me to follow this path of becoming a dietitian. My goal is to help those around me and in need of my services in the community.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude and support towards the ADSA bursary. I am truly honored to be selected to receive the bursary. The bursary has lightened my financial burden and has made my goals within reach.

I am Nthangeni Murendeni Jameson. I was born in Tshitungulwane and now live at Njhakanjhaka, in Limpopo. I decided to become a dietitian because of my mother who has health issues and can’t eat certain foods. My goal is to help people who have health issues in the communities through food as an effective medicine and use it to the best of its capabilities for fuelling, repairing, and building our bodies to function at their maximum.

I would like to thank ADSA for their generous sponsorship of my studies, I am very appreciative to be a recipient of the bursary scheme, which lightened my financial burden and will allow me to achieve my goal of becoming a dietitian.

I am Zandile Ngubane, I was born and raised in Mtubatuba, a small town in KwaZulu Natal. I did my BSc in Biochemistry and Microbiology at University of Zululand (2016-2018). Nutrition was one of my modules in my previous qualification and that made me fall in love with dietetics. I decided to do dietetics because it treats medical conditions through medical nutrition therapy and helps people make the right food choices. I was fortunate enough to be accepted at the Nelson Mandela University and now I am doing my second year of study. Once I finish my degree I want to go back to my hometown and educate people about nutrition and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle to help improve people’s lives.

I would love to pass my gratitude to ADSA for awarding me with a bursary to study for the rest of my academic years. This bursary came in my time of need for funding as I did not have funding and for that I will forever be grateful to them for giving me a chance to pursue my dream.

I am currently a third year dietetics student at the North West University, Potchefstroom, and could not have been more excited to become a registered dietitian. I didn’t think it was possible, but I am enjoying my studies even more every day. The field of dietetics is growing into a whole new world that I never knew existed, but of which I am so excited to be a part of. I especially enjoy therapeutic nutrition and can’t wait to learn more about it. There is still so much to learn that it makes it impossible for me to imagine what will happen in the future, but I do hope that an internship with UNICEF is part of God’s plan for me.

Thank you ADSA for giving me the opportunity to not only follow my dreams, but also to develop this immense passion that I have for dietetics that is growing by the minute. “If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” – Bishop T.D Jakes

I would like to convey my sincere and most humble gratitude to ADSA for affording me the opportunity and privilege to study with the aid of the financial support. I received the ADSA bursary in 2017 during my second year at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, completing BSc Dietetics in 2019. I applied for community service at various hospitals and was placed at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, one of the biggest hospitals in the world. This is where I currently am in my career and enjoying every moment of the experience

In 2016 I was privileged to receive the ADSA bursary and in 2017, I completed BSc Dietetics (Hons) at the University of the Free State. For community service I was placed in Schweizer-Reneke in the North-West. I was so excited to enter the interesting world of dietetics and put both theory and skills into practice, soon realising that theory can only take you so far. As the Afrikaans saying goes, “ ‘n boer maak ‘n plan”. It was a challenging year but extremely rewarding and humbling to give your absolute all to each and every patient, and seeing what impact you can have on someone’s life.

After my community service year in 2018 I was unemployed for 3 months. I applied for nearly 125 jobs all over South Africa. I received 6 replies and 2 interviews, realising that I was now part of the crisis statistic of so many other unemployed dieticians in our country. Life works in mysterious ways and I ended up with a job opportunity at a veterinary pharmaceutical supplies company as a key accounts sales representative. This position of course has nothing to do with nutrition or dietetics whatsoever, but I jumped in and gave it my all. Some of the skills and traits I acquired from my dietetics degree include the excellent organisational ability, attention to detail, determination, ambition, creativity, interpersonal skills, working well under pressure, computer literacy, research skills, leadership, efficient communication, and conveying evidence-based knowledge in a professional matter. These qualities can be applied to more than one profession. My current success in a complete new field of work proves that you can master anything through hard work and a positive attitude.

I truly love and enjoy nutrition and will always have a great respect for dietitians. My degree in dietetics is my biggest achievement and stepping stone and I look forward further channel it into a corporate-orientated career, hoping to return to the clinical field as when the opportunity arises.

I come from a rural village in Giyani, Limpopo and and completed BSc Dietetics at the University of Limpopo in 2017. I did my community service in 2018 at Kagisano Molopo subdistrict (North West DoH) and gained great experience in community nutrition. In 2019, I started working as a private practicing dietitian in Soweto Centre for Diabetes and have a special interest in diabetes.

I’ve always wanted to be part of the team in the prevention and management of chronic condition, and that’s what inspired me to become a dietitian. I enjoy being a dietitian and being in private practice. Private practice taught me to be independent and I am willing to grow in the field of nutrition and dietetics. Thanks to ADSA for awarding me a bursary to fulfil my dreams. I am who I am today through the help of ADSA.

In 2015 I was awarded the ADSA Bursary which helped me to complete my BSc Dietetics degree. In 2017 I graduated from Stellenbosch University, thereafter completing the community service year at Discoverers Community Health Centre in Roodepoort, Johannesburg. Here, I learned the importance of a preventative medical model, as well as the need for stakeholder engagement. I am currently employed as a Registered Dietitian at Kalafong Hospital, Pretoria, working with the HIV/ AIDS Outpatient Clinic as well as the Oncology and Post-natal Wards.

Dear Sir/Madam My name is Jayne Marshall and I come from Kroonstad, a small town in the Free State Province. I have always had a passion for helping others and that is what led to me to study Dietetics. I am currently in my second year of studying towards a B.Sc Dietetics degree at the University of the Free State. I was blessed to be awarded the ADSA bursary towards my studies for the next three years, starting from this year. The bursary will help me tremendously because we are unable to finance my studies for the remaining three years because of my family’s circumstances. The bursary will cover most of my fees thus taking a great burden off of my shoulders. I am a hard worker and will always do my best to strive towards success. One of my favourite quotes is: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

I received the ADSA Bursary in 2012 and completed a BSc Dietetics at Stellenbosch University in 2014. I then proceeded to complete my community service year in 2015 at Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospital and gained great experience in clinical nutrition.

Seeking work as a dietitian in South Africa can be a bit of challenge, and I had to take on work that was outside the world of dietetics thereafter. I have, however, continued to keep up date with CPD points and the latest nutrition research for best practice, as well as attending various ADSA events which are a great way to network with others in the field.

I strongly believe that nutrition education plays a vital role in addressing many health issues of today, and I would like to make a difference with that knowledge. Therefore I am currently in the process of obtaining a license to practice as registration dietitian in Canada, in order to further develop my career.