Namibian Sun

Last year's top-performing NSSC ordinary level learner, Muupa Kabajani, credits the support of her family and teachers at St Boniface College, as well as her own will and motivation, for her success.

“I was born a fighter. You can knock me down, but I will always get back up,” she told Namibian Sun yesterday at the announcement of the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC) ordinary level exams results.

And Kabajani has faced a few knocks in her life including the loss of her beloved father and watching her mum cope as a single parent.

“As a single mother my mother went through a lot of hardship, financial struggles, sleepless nights – we have been through it all,” she said.

For Kabajani, her top score of 87.6% is not only a personal achievement that sets her well on her way to become a doctor, but also repays a debt of gratitude to her mother.

“There was nothing else I could've done to repay her; you can never repay your mother. This is all and everything I could do. And I put my heart and soul into my work, just for this moment.”

Muupa's mother told Namibian Sun that what helped her daughter succeed was discipline.

“She is very disciplined. She is always at home, doesn't wander about. She doesn't watch much television, spends most of her time reading and she has only a few friends.”As a mother, she said her role consisted of continuously talking to her daughter and motivating her to study hard so that she didn't give up.

“I feel so very much honoured today. Her results show that she respected me, that she took my advice and listened to my words. It was not easy. I am a single mother, and now I feel honoured.”

Kabajani's dream is to specialise as an oncologist.

“That is specialising in cancer, the disease that took away my dad, so it's something close to my heart. So from here it's to the University of Namibia's School of Medicine, and in five years you will see me again as Dr Kabajani.”

Education and books are two of her favourite things.

“Education is the number one thing in my life. Nothing else matters. The friendships, the phones, the trends, they come and go, but your education is everlasting.”

Self-admittedly a bookworm, Kabajani said her love of reading can be traced back to her late father who taught her the importance of reading. A close circle of friends and family kept her grounded and motivated, she added. St Boniface School principal Mary Phillis Yesudasan also kept her on the right track.

“Short as she may be, she is dynamite. She never gave up on me. She always saw the potential in me, even when I did not see it myself. She was just always there for me.”

Rundu's St Boniface College once again blew all competition out of the water, with the top ten performers all proud graduates from the school that has consistently outperformed other schools in the NSSC ordinary level exams. The top male NSSC performer in the country is Paulus Iyambo, who achieved an 86.9% average score. Iyambo plans to study mechanical engineering at the University of Namibia and said time management was key to his success.

He added that a desire to make his parents proud kept him going through tough times, and a love of reading and socialising with friends allowed him to relax before and after studying hard.

Morion Mupiri, who came in a close second to Kabajani with a score of 87.6%, said working hard from the beginning is a must to achieve good results.

Her aunt, Mechitilde Mupiri, said she was “ecstatic and overjoyed and very proud” of her niece's performance.

Morion intends to become a chartered accountant and will start studying at Unam this year.

JANA-MARI SMITH