My Name is Tjengisile Nontobeko Banda (TJ). I’m 20 years old and from Swaziland. I am a 2015 graduate of African Christian College. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Theology, majoring in Counselling.
I would define my coming to ACC as directed by God. ACC is near my community, but I knew it only at a distance. I never knew what it was really all about until I met two students during an evangelism outreach at my church. They told me about ACC and I got so much interested in knowing about their counselling courses.
I was invited to an open day that took place at ACC in order for me to get more clarification. When I got there, I was given application forms and the prospectus. I took the initiative and applied. I anxiously waited for their response and when I got it I was hesitant because my mom had already made plans for me to go to school in South Africa. So I was held between two choices. I chose to come to ACC and now I’m glad I chose that way.
ACC has been a home for me and I learnt a lot more than I expected — in class, at work, and the community at large. I have learnt fellowship, works that I didn’t know how to do, and how to teach children and adults. And lately I learnt how to facilitate business, home, and health curriculum. All those were things I did not think I was going to learn at ACC, but I learnt and benefited from all those anyway.
For all this I am sincerely grateful to the ACC family at large and I hope to serve my community in making means of alleviating poverty.
I volunteered working with MOM project in Masundvwini community teaching and dishing food for the orphans in that area. I was involved in the ACC choir and as secretary of the choir for two years. I organised youth outreaches at different churches around Swaziland. I also served on the Student Representative Council.
Message to the wise and prospective students, you have the chance to further your studies at ACC, get the light to your future. For the current students, what a great choice you’ve made to be at ACC: consider yourself among the chosen few. Do not give up or relax now that you are there, but work harder, remember your goal and don’t lose focus.
To the faculty, I’m humbled by your commitment, love, and the helping hand you give in making sure that students have better future. Thank you so much for your patience with me and my colleagues and for not getting tired of giving us all that we needed to be better individuals.
This post is part of a series of posts from our 2015 graduating students. Today’s post is from Tjengisile Nontobeko Banda from Swaziland. Tjengisile will graduate on 28 November 2015, with her Bachelor of Theology degree from African Christian College with a major in Counselling.