This is the second blog-post from Nicolin Mamuya, the first ESOMAR Foundation scholarship in South Africa.

June 22, 2016

We have already reached the middle of 2016; I guess time seems to fly when you have a lot on your plate. I wrote my mid-year exams this month. How did it go? Well, the first two exams (Business to Business Marketing and Logistics Management) went great and the marks justify. Marketing Research went all right as well. Strategic Management on the other hand was unpredictable. I mean, we all had the previous exam paper which was a precise duplicate of the actual exam paper however; the subject accounted for my lowest mark and had many people in tears. On a positive note, the University awarded me with a R4 230 merit bursary for attaining a 70% average for my second year. I am hoping to use the money to purchase textbooks for my second semester.

I am learning to cope with living alone. It has its pros and cons. For instance, I enjoy the idea of not having a curfew however, for a talkative person like me, coming home to no one can be a nightmare. My mom is slowly recovering. She is learning how to walk and I am really proud of how well she is doing. My family has arranged for me to go see her at the end of this month. I am excited but already dreading the heat in Tanzania. Tanzania is a very hot country and I don’t mean it in a good way. Nonetheless it is a very beautiful and peaceful country to live in.

Let’s move on to what has been happening with Unique Women. We have created a Facebook page as well as a Blog. There are only 6 people in the group, each with different responsibilities. We wanted to keep the circle as small as possible, at least just until we become established. We have printed our own Unique Women shirts and I must say they look really good. On the 16^th of June we paid a visit to a local orphanage to donate groceries and also lend a hand with the toddlers. The babies were adorable and they absolutely loved the attention.

Vanessa (my best friend) and I have assumed the position as leaders, which means we set out what the team should do, this of course includes ourselves. We have created a profile for Unique Women stating our mission, vision and values. We plan on also offering tutor and mentor services to primary school children. We also plan on assisting to clean the outside areas of hospitals. Our biggest project so far is raising money to actually pay the school fees of a deserving primary school child. We don’t want to award it to the smartest student but rather the most hardworking. This will be done through fundraising and monthly donations from each member.

As predicted, a group of young females working together is quite problematic with everyone being entitled to their own opinions. Some members are not co-operating which makes other members feel skeptical about the success of the group. Seeing as we are such a small group, the resignation of one member could affect all of us significantly. I spoke to Vanessa about it and she assured me that if it had to come down to the both of us then we would continue to carry out our plan as this is bigger than just a group. It is about helping people in the end.

I just hope everything goes well in the end. When I think of how blessed I am I just want to pay it forward. You know, help the next person in the hope that they also assist others. I remain truly grateful for absolutely everything I have and if we could just have a positive effect on just one person through this initiative then our efforts would not go in vain.

Nicolin Mamuya

The scholarship awarded to Nicolin was sponsored by SSI and in collaboration with SAMRA.

 

Nicolin Mamuya has been awarded of the first ESOMAR Foundation scholarship in South Africa. This scholarship was sponsored by SSI- Survey Sampling International and in collaboration with SAMRA – Southern African Marketing Research Association.  Hear directly from Nicolin about the impact of this scholarship on her life:

About Me

I am currently a 3^rd year BCom (Bachelor of Commerce) Marketing Management student at the University of Johannesburg and my name is Nicolin Byansy Mamuya. I was born and raised on the 25^th of November 1996 in Johannesburg, South Africa although both my parents are from Tanzania. I was however, raised by a single mother who always stressed about the importance of education.

I attended Progressive Primary and then went on to Rand girls’ High School in 2009. I was always the quiet girl in the background until the 10^th grade when I joined the RAPS acting club. It was a huge boost to my confidence and I felt it safe to label myself an extrovert. I initially wanted to study BCom Law and placed Marketing as my second choice however, I was only accepted for Marketing.

My first year in Marketing was very insightful and by the time I finished my 2^nd year, I was already speaking Marketing. I found myself constantly rating service performances and being able to spot marketing strategies in ordinary convenient stores.  In my second year I was awarded a two year bursary from a well-known billboard and radio company called Primedia.

Now doing my 3^rd year, I am a mentor for first year Marketing students as well as the Deputy Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (DASO). I am also part of a group called Unique women were we aim to inspire and build women to achieve success. We are currently starting with visiting orphanages where we can assist, donate and speak to the young girls about working towards a bright future.

I am an outgoing, enthusiast who always plans for the future. Alongside my career in Marketing, I plan on opening a Jazz restaurant that offers a taste into the world. My ultimate goal in life however, is to be a strong, successful and influential woman, one that others can look at and admire but yet can relate to.

How will the scholarship help me and what do I expect from the experience?

On the 13^th of March 2016 at 00:10am, 2 days before her birthday, my mother had a stroke. She was taken to the hospital where the doctor revealed the severity of the stroke. My family thought it best to return her to Tanzania where she would be properly taken care of. I was forced to grow up and learn to do things for myself. However, because my mom was the breadwinner it meant that I would suffer financially and my chances of pursuing Honours in Marketing would slim.

My lecturers always mention that a degree has become as common as a High school certificate, which means competition is very high. Hence, they constantly emphasize the importance of pursuing honours as a means of differentiating oneself. This scholarship will therefore, not only assist in providing for my basic needs but also the opportunity to pursue my Honours degree.

I would like the affiliation I have with the foundation to build on my personal career. I look forward to gaining greater insight on the Market Research field and hope to get the opportunity to apply my knowledge once I graduate. Greater insight and guidance in the field will assist in deciding which area in Market Research I would like to go into.

I am also hoping that my affiliation with the foundation, not just through the scholarship, will be a huge stepping stone towards my success in future, which in-turn, will also contribute towards the realisation of my long-term goals.

 

Nicolin Byansy Mamuya

 

The awarding of our first scholarship in South Africa to Nicolin

A special thanks to our sponsor and collaborators. A clear action from the Market Research industry towards the improvement of our society. To Nicolin our best wishes for a successful continuation of her studies and career in Market Research!

 

The ESOMAR foundation is actively supporting individual students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds with an interest in pursuing a career in market research. Read more

‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ Nelson Mandela

The Foundation in co-operation with SAMRA (Southern African MR Association) with the generous support of SSI will be awarding a scholarship to a deserving young person during the SAMRA Conference 17-19 May in Gauteng South Africa

The Scholarship program supports students from a disadvantaged socio-economic background with an interest in pursuing a career in Market research. The scholarships will fund post-graduate studies in disciplines that are relevant to social, market and opinion research.

To ensure a good selection and assessment process the Foundation will collaborate with different local market research associations and universities. SAMRA, will be helping to identify and short list potential candidates by reaching out to universities and professors as well as help with interviews an assessment of applications.

To help support us financially, SSI, a global provider of data solutions and technology for the Market Research Industry will be the sponsor for scholarships 2016/17.

Are you or your organization interested in supporting our scholarship program, click here, to learn more or contact info@esomarfoundation.org.