This essay is one of 35 selected by a panel of judges for “Ambitions Interrupted,” a series from The GroundTruth Project and YouthVoices, its storytelling platform.
Name: Ntipa Chola
Age: 18
Dream Job: Surgeon
City, Country: Lusaka, Zambia
Current job/school: Math tutor
Challenge: Can’t afford university
I have always wanted to help people in any way possible. I feel so much compassion for those who are in a bad place.
In high school, I served as a first aid medic for three years in the Red Cross, where I learned how to treat bites, swollen limbs, wounds and those who fainted – I would help people with their most immediate needs before they were taken to the hospital. This is where my passion for biology comes from, and I have wanted to be a surgeon ever since.
But I’ve encountered a lot of challenges. My parents are unable to pay for my higher education and already struggle to pay for my siblings to go to school. In Zambia, elementary school is free, but many students end up paying for private school because the government offers only a limited number of seats.
The financial struggle causes a lot of people to discourage me from pursuing the medical industry. They say that I am just wasting my time, and my father keeps telling me that I should become a police officer. My personality just isn’t suited for a job like that – it doesn’t interest me.
Now that I’m out of school, life is becoming tough. It’s hard to find a job that will help me save for my university costs, plus the unemployment rate in Zambia is overwhelming. Retail companies are hiring receptionists and sales associates at shopping malls nearby, but they’re demanding experience that I don’t have. I currently work as a math tutor for children age 10 to 18, but the pay isn’t enough to save for university.
Still, I hope to enroll myself into medical school. If I can do that, I’m convinced that a beautiful future awaits me.
This story was originally submitted to YouthVoices, a platform powered by The GroundTruth Project that encourages young people to share stories about the issues affecting their generation. Submit your own essays and answer new questions here, or learn more about global youth unemployment with this interactive map.