Marizel van Rensburg, 24, from eManzimtoti said she was thrilled about finally graduating after much work.
She obtained her Master’s degree in Health Sciences, specialising in Homeopathy, at the Durban University of Technology’s 2024 Spring Graduation at the Durban Exhibition Centre on Thursday.
Van Rensburg completed her bachelor’s degree with honours from 2018 to 2022 and graduated in 2023. She is also the recipient of the prestigious 2023 Abe Bailey bursary, awarded to foster leadership in young South Africans, which gave her the opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom.
“On the tour, I had the privilege of shadowing the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine where my eyes were opened to the opportunities for homoeopathy in South Africa. I hope to bring some of my dreams for homoeopathy for South Africa to fruition in the future,” she said.
Van Rensburg said she was fuelled by passion to pursue the qualification.
“I have a great love and deep passion for the healing that sits within nature and within each of us. I love being witness not only to people’s life stories, but to their transformation from illness to health,” she said.
Van Rensburg said she faced some obstacles on her journey.
“Some of the challenges were financial stress and the opposition my profession so often faces. I had to learn to come to my own convictions, how to stand up for what I believe and how to convince others of the power that lies within nature,” she said.
Currently, she is a secretary to a homoeopath in Hillcrest and is a part-time staff member of the Khula Natural Health Centre in Khula Village, a non-profit organisation that treats the rural community with homoepathy.
Van Rensburg said she hoped to open her own private practice as soon as possible to finally do what she loves: consulting with patients.
The eldest of three children, she described herself as compassionate, strong-willed, hard-working, having a heart for the people around her and always serving nature.
Van Rensburg encouraged people to have a purpose for their studies.
“Know the ‘why’ behind what you study. Chase after your passions and do work that you will never grow weary of doing because when the going gets tough, you will need a deep seated passion to drive you forward,” she said.