Africa-Press – South-Africa. Dante Gbejewoh wrote the exams to complete his master’s degree amid the noise and distractions of the communal computer room at the shelter that has been his home for the past three years.
This was just one of the many sacrifices he has made in pursuing his dream to create research that can be used to fight climate change and reduce food insecurity.
Only three years after leaving his home in Nigeria, having spent all his money on a plane ticket to South Africa, the 29-year-old has been offered funding to undertake his doctoral degree at Queens University in Canada.
Gbejewoh was accepted to study a PhD in Environmental Studies at the Ontario university after completing his master’s degree at Stellenbosch University in December.
“I completed my undergraduate degree in Nigeria, but I wanted to follow my education and go into academia. I couldn’t get funding to study further, so I decided to apply to South African universities,” he said.
Gbejewoh was accepted at Stellenbosch, but wasn’t able to cover the costs of his tuition. Instead of being deterred, he decided to travel to the Western Cape and work towards his dream.
“I decided to work for a year and to stay at the Elim Night Shelter to be able to save up the money from the odd jobs I did,” he said.
After a year of working, Gbejewoh was able to pay for his first year of studies at Stellenbosch University. He decided not to tell his family or faculty of his hardships and sacrifices, and his academic performance saw him awarded a bursary for the second year of his master’s degree.
Dr Erna Blancquaert, a lecturer in the Department of Viticulture and Oenology and Dante’s study leader, said Gbejewoh had received support from The Small Things Fund, an independent fund run by a small group of SU staff members.
Blancquaert said:
The funding allowed him to continue studying through the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns when he was not able to work, even though his accommodation made it a challenge.
“It wasn’t easy. We have only one computer room at the shelter, and that is where I do my studies. It’s not always easy, with people coming in and out or making noise, especially when I was writing exams during lockdown,” he said.
“Before I graduated, I looked for opportunities overseas and applied at universities all over the world. I was also accepted at a university in the US, but chose to go to Canada,” he said.
Gbejewoh intends to focus his studies on traditional and indigenous plants, and how they can be used to develop crops better suited to climate change.
“We have a lack of diversity in our crops. Rice, corn and wheat make up around 60% of our food, despite there being a number of indigenous crops that are well suited to higher temperatures. If we could introduce these into our diets, we could increase food security,” he explained.
Blancquaert said she hadn’t seen a student “with so much drive and willpower” during her academic career.
“He is an incredibly hard worker and a brilliant scientist as a result of his meticulous character. He published numerous papers as an undergraduate student in Nigeria, and has a wide interest in a number of agriculture fields. The latter has led to him publishing papers on plant-based protein which was recently published. Two more papers are currently being finalised.
“Dante kept me on my toes as his supervisor,” she said.
“I have no reservation that he will make a success of his PhD. I wish him well on his new journey.”
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