|
By Ivor Markman
A change of career is not that unusual, but when a service station cashier decides to become a palaeontologist, she is sure to raise a few eyebrows. But Ena Mafora, from a small rural village in the North West province, was up for the challenge.
When Mafora completed her matric, she decided her future lay in beauty therapy. She moved to Johannesburg in 1993 and after completing a number of beauty courses, set about, in vain, trying to find a job in her field.
She eventually got a job as a cashier at a Florida service station.
| 'I wanted to learn more about fossils and human origins' |
"One day in 2002 a man stopped at the garage and came in to buy a newspaper. I noticed that he was driving a car with a sign that read Sterkfontein research unit."
Unfamiliar with the area, she asked him if he was "working with minds" assuming he was employed at the Sterkfontein Mental Hospital. The man introduced himself as Professor Ron Clarke of Witwatersrand University and he proceeded to tell her briefly about the Sterkfontein caves.
He made quite an impression, for she gave him her name and number saying: "Please let me go there next time you go. I want to go there."
Three days later, he phoned her.
"I was working night shift and knocked off at six o'clock on Friday morning. I waited for him and at 7am he fetched me.
"I was fascinated with the caves and the fossils. There was somebody there from the national research foundation as well so I managed to go around and hear some explanations from him. He showed me what they were doing there with the excavations. I was so impressed," she said.
From then on she knew what she wanted to do. Whenever possible, she went to the caves. She was so happy in the environment that she later asked Clarke for a job.
He managed to find her a job with Kevin Kuykendall who was doing research at Makapan's Cave.
"I got a job as a fossil preparer, removing the fossilised bones from the breccia." For the next six months she cleaned fossils.
"I had the practical experience, but no theory. I wanted to learn more about fossils and human origins. So I applied to Wits and they accepted me. Because I was 29, I was told to do my bachelors degree over four years instead of three.
"This is my first year. It's pretty hard because I am also raising my two kids. But I have to do it. I have to become Dr EK Mafora."
Her studies are being funded by the French Embassy and several benefactors in the United States.
- This article was originally published on page 5 of Sunday Argus on September 25, 2005
|
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Delicious
Newsvine
Facebook
muti
