The longing for things other kids had, like dolls, new school shoes, and Christmas clothes, is something Thulisa Dyantyi from Gugulethu, Cape Town knows all too well. As if seeing her single mother struggle on her own was not hard enough, Dyantyi’s chronic asthma made things even more difficult. However, she overcame her challenges, excelled at school and found her passion in nursing.
Today, the family sings a new song of hope and perseverance, with Dyantyi serving as a sexual and reproductive health nurse and adolescent youth-friendly services nurse at a community clinic in Cape Town.
Surviving life’s challenges
As a child suffering from chronic asthma, Dyantyi remembers her mother, Thelma Dyantyi, waiting in long queues at clinics for help. Her late grandmother, Miriam Joyisi, would take turns with her mother to take her for treatment.
Dyantyi recalls the most challenging time: her mother struggled to find a job for nearly 10 years, which made things hard at home.
“I never experienced shopping sprees as a little girl; my new clothes were someone’s second-hand clothes.”
When her mother finally got a job as a house cleaner, things began to improve.
“You can imagine the excitement I felt when I saw a big black bag filled with second-hand clothes.”
Dyantyi adds, “Coming from a township of crime and violence, education was my only escape.”
A bookworm’s path to healthcare
Dyantyi buried herself in books which helped her achieve good marks at school. Her focus remained strong from primary to secondary school.
“I was part of the Amy Biehl reading role models initiative, where we would read books to grade 1 and grade 2 learners, encouraging them to read.”
At Fezeka High School in Gugulethu, Dyantyi shined even more. “I was even part of the debating society there. Not a single day did I think nursing would be the best career for me.”
She wanted to be a television personality, but her perspective changed. As her mother worked in hospitals as a cleaner, Dyantyi observed the care nurses provided to patients, which sparked her curiosity.
Pushing through to reach a dream
Her dedication to books led her to receive two bursaries in 2013: one from the Western Cape department of health and the other from Asset.
“I ended up cancelling the Asset bursary as the Western Cape department of health bursary’s contract covered everything from registration fee, books, stationery, and uniform,” she explains.
“And I was guaranteed placement at the end of my studies in the Western Cape during the community service year.”
Despite her passion for nursing, she was shaken while studying nursing sciences at Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
“I failed a major module and told myself I am going to quit nursing.”
She adds, “That was a challenging time, but in the second year, I repeated the module I failed and this time, I remembered why I chose nursing in the first place. During my training, I fell in love with emergency/trauma and ICU.”
She completed her community service in 2018 at Groote Schuur Hospital, where she worked in the ICUs and speciality clinics. She then applied to the University of the Western Cape for a postgraduate diploma in public health.
Challenges in the job market led her to take locum positions in ICU departments around Cape Town.
“Making a difference makes me happy; the relationship I have with my patients makes me happy,” she explains. “What I find challenging is working with minimal resources and having to improvise.”
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Sexual health education
Dyantyi’s main role is as a sexual and reproductive health nurse. She says this position has given her an amazing opportunity to make an impact in her community, especially through collaborations with organisations offering social services to disadvantaged members.
“I have referred quite a few adolescents to social workers for assistance with food parcels and social grants,” she says.
She has also obtained a postgraduate diploma in health services management. When a patient presents with a sexual and reproductive health issue, she explains, “I look at their psychosocial needs and wellbeing, which helps in the treatment approach.
“I also work in collaboration with surrounding schools, helping teachers solve issues and providing health education.”
Part of her job is advising women over 30 to seek early detection for cervical cancer, having observed significant healthcare issues in her role.
She also highlights the importance of HIV prevention, including the use of PrEP, and the necessity of adhering to chronic treatments.
Dyantyi sees herself moving into health programme management and coordination, focusing on the development of new health policies for both men and women. Although she aspires to own a private practice specialising in men’s health and their sexual and reproductive health needs, she remains committed to women’s health.
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