Ocular tuberculosis couldn't stop Janke Jacobs from obtaining a degree in dentistry

Janke Jacobs, 23, almost gave up on her studies after she was diagnosed with ocular tuberculosis while doing her second year at the University of Western Cape (UWC).

The dentistry student from Durbanville noticed blind spots in her field of vision and, after three months of tests and being administered the wrong medication, she was diagnosed with the condition.

The condition causes inflammation in the eye and hinders her vision. But she didn’t allow her circumstances to determine her future, and this year she beat the odds to graduate with a degree in dentistry.

“Initially, coping was very difficult with so many doctor’s appointments but I knew this is something that I had to deal with,” said Jacobs.

Her diagnosis had initially left her fearful, frustrated and uncertain about her dream of becoming a dentist. While her practicals were a challenge, she retrained her eyes to be able to perform the normal dentistry tasks and in the process learnt to be patient with herself.

She told TimesLIVE that at one stage she felt like quitting, but she knew that so many people were going through a similar situation. Scared, she even started reconsidering dentistry since she realised that people don’t like going to the dentist and being blind would make matters substantially worse.

“It took me about six months to figure out my condition and that kept the momentum going.

“Generally, this is not an easy degree but my family and friends have been very supportive throughout my studies,” she said.

Jacobs — who praises God for her being able to function normally despite all the challenges — said she was grateful for becoming a more well-rounded human being. She recalled that her situation has truly shifted her perspective and is a huge part of who she is today.

Now completely recovered, Jacobs will start her first job doing community services in January 2020 in the North West province.

Meanwhile, Abdsalam Alahwal, who arrived in SA in May 2016 from his native country of Libya, believes that education will allow his country to rise again.

When he left home, he vowed to stay away from social media and solemnly agreed with his family to only inform him about family developments.

Alahwal, from Sabha in southwestern Libya, left his country embroiled in turmoil to pursue his studies in SA.

“Since day one, I agreed with my family that any problem outside the family, they shouldn’t tell me about it,” he says.

The PhD graduate in social development at UWC achieved success despite many adversities and challenges. After spending years in a foreign country, he intends to contribute to the development of SA and its people through knowledge sharing.

During his studies, Alahwal used the study facilities at the University of Cape Town  Graduate School of Business in the Waterfront area and on many occasions even slept on the couches while studying.

“My thesis is about understanding the democratisation process in the Middle East and North Africa after [the] Arab Spring,” he says.

He recalls that despite all the odds, he had to complete his studies swiftly. “My father was sending money from Libya and the feeling that my country is in a civil war and the dwindling currency, I had to finish my studies very quickly,” he says.

While he was busy with his studies, tragedy struck in 2017. He learnt of the deaths of three friends through Facebook and in the very same year, his paternal grandparents died.

“My hometown is a tribal area and very aggressive with people who don’t understand what is happening, so I wanted to get this knowledge as I believe it will make our country to rise again,” he says.