Driven by a desire for knowledge and a determination to improve her life and support her family, Maria Shiimi walks about 20km each day to and from school.
She studies Supply Chain and Logistics Management at Triumphant College.
Before dawn, she begins the long journey from Havana, one of Windhoek's informal settlements, to the college in Khomasdal.
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According to Shiimi, she cannot afford rent and taxi fare at the same time, so she has to walk. She said she usually leaves home at around 5h00 and reaches campus at 7h15.
Shiimi said she is not afraid to be attacked by thieves in the early mornings because many people are on their way to work, and they walk together from as far as the Havana four-way stop.
However, she feels unsafe when returning home, as she often walks alone.
"Early in the morning, I don't worry because everyone is walking to work, and we travel together. When I come back from school, I walk alone, scared, and pray to God for safety and protection because I trust in God," she said. The student added that the long walks leave her with sore feet, tiredness and hunger. During the cold winter, her hands hurt from the cold, while the long distance also causes pain in her legs.
"When I walk, sometimes I feel tired, my feet are painful and I am hungry. When it is cold, my hands hurt; when it is hot, I feel thirsty and my legs are often in pain," she narrated her life struggle to New Era.
Shiimi is appealing to the government or any good Samaritan to help her find a job, even as a security guard. She said night-shift work would allow her to earn an income while continuing her studies during the day. She previously worked for a security company before her contract ended.
"I need a job that offers night shifts because during the day, I am going to school so that I can afford my rent and also taxi, food and mostly help my daughter who is going to school," she pleads.
"I also want to help my father, who is unemployed, and I used to give him the little I could afford because he is the only parent I have," Shiimi said sadly.
Moreover, Shiimi advised her fellow students not to give up because they do not know what the future holds for them, and for those who are also walking long distances to university and college, she said they must always pray and never forget where they come from.
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"I would like to advise my fellow students not to give up; they must always pray to God for protection, and they must not give up on their studies. They must also search for jobs to get money for transport," Shiimi said as she gives encouraging words to students in the same situation.
