After having her debt settled, Kotane went to the HPCSA offices and registered as a health professional.
A few days later, she received a call offering her a locum contract at a private clinic.
“To her surprise, a week after registering with the HPCSA, a former lecturer called her to advise that there was an opportunity to apply for work at Netcare. Kotane sent her CV through, and within a few days, was offered a position as part of the response team to the Covid-19 pandemic at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD),” Feenix said.
“All of this happened within less than a month of having my debt cleared and registering with the HPCSA,” said Kotane.
“I am so grateful to Feenix and the Tutuwa Foundation. It has been an overwhelming journey and I can still hardly believe it.”
Kotane is also proud to be serving her country as it faces the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I am doing what I am passionate about and learning so much at the same time,” she said.
“Universities are unable to release graduate certificates to students who haven’t settled their fees in full,” explained Cara-Jean Petersen, student engagement manager at Feenix.
“For some professions, the certificate is required proof of qualification and without it, graduates cannot be employed. This creates a vicious circle of unemployment, as the student cannot get a job until they can prove their qualification, but they cannot pay their outstanding fees until they have secured a job.”
TimesLIVE (TMG Digital)
BY NOMAHLUBI JORDAAN
