Getting a degree, let alone an honours degree, is surreal for Meshan Letsoalo. By all accounts, he should not be where he is today, as the odds were stacked against him from birth.

Meshan was born to a teenage mom whose parents did not even know she was pregnant or gave birth. Fortunately for him, he was given up for adoption at the age of three months, and an Indian couple, Pricilla Govender and Monty Naidoo, raised him with love.

Fast forward 24 years later, Meshan graduated with an honours degree in marketing in front of his proud adoptive parents during a recent North-West University (NWU) graduation ceremony at the Kompas Gemeente in Vanderbijlpark.

"I came into the world facing daunting odds. After my mother gave me up for adoption, she never saw me again.  I don’t know who my real father is, and he only thing I have that belonged to my birth mother is her surname," shares Meshan.

When Priscilla and Monty adopted Meshan, they had just separated from their previous partners. Each had older kids, but they struggled to have children in their new marriage, so they decided to adopt. Three years after being adopted, the couple was blessed with a child of their own. 

"Even though my parents adopted me while they were struggling financially, they always looked after me with love and made sure that I had what I needed,” says Meshan.

He adds that being adopted as a black child by an Indian family had its challenges.

"As a black person, I always stuck out like a sore thumb, and people were always curious about my story. My adoptive parents' families even disowned them," he says.

Due to financial constraints, Meshan could not go to university after finishing matric. Fortunately, he was able to enroll for a sports management course at the NWU’s Vanderbijlpark Campus in 2018, thanks to funding by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). After finishing the course, he enrolled for an honours degree in marketing.

Meshan says his dream is to now support his parents, who are pensioners.

"Graduating is so surreal, it's unbelievable. I cannot wait to get a job and give back to my parents. They stuck with me through very difficult situations, and it is now my turn to take care of them," he says.

 A loving family:  Meshan Letsoalo shares his graduation with his adoptive parents, Pricilla Govender and Monty Naidoo.