My name is Amanda Duma, and I am from Port Edward, KwaZulu-Natal. In 2015, in Grade 10, I attended the Girls Fly Afric (GFA) Aviation and Space Camp with a few of my schoolmates from other grades. I matriculated from Adams College in 2017 and graduated with a Bachelor of Architectural Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in 2021.
I was unsure what I wanted to do when I attended the camp. When asked, I remember saying I wanted to be an Accountant. However, GFA taught me something empowering: that women can be anything they want to be.
If she can fly, so can I
That is what they used to tell us. I took that phrase more figuratively than literally. It means if I can build an empire, no one can say to me that I cannot.
In 2016, I was part of an Empowerment Week Program from the University of Pretoria sponsored by Investec called the Junior Tukkies, which was about helping high school students get a sense of Varsity life while assisting them in finding suitable career paths. That is when I discovered something called Architecture; the Prof. described it as a combination of Art and Science,
the Arts of Science
he said. And that is when I got interested in it. I mean, I have always had a love for drawing and art.
When I am not doing any architecture, I enjoy reading; I just finished reading “Everyday Greatness” from the Reader’s Digest series collection. I do drawings and paintings, and I recently painted for my mother. I also love fashion and enjoy designing and sewing some outfits. I might start a brand in the future. Who knows?
To the younger generation, I want to say you do not have to have it all figured out from the beginning. Everyone’s journey is different, so do not compare yourself to anyone else. Take the time to live in the present and appreciate your surroundings. What is meant for you will find you, but only if you want it to.
