”My name is Bongeka Caluza, a young woman who is God fearing, career oriented and enterprising. I am a young vibrant woman who always sees the good in every situation and always puts people first.
My life mission is to help people where I can and to give hope to the hopeless with the little I have. I am a student studying a Master’s Degree (M.Tech) in Chiropractic at Durban University of Technology.
I am a well dedicated person who is extremely passionate about studying. I come from a disadvantaged background and I am the first person in my family to make it to university. I grew up in a rural area where there was no electricity nor running tap water; we used to fetch water from the river and fetch firewood from the bush in order to be able to do basic things like cooking.
I have always wanted to help in treating children with musculoskeletal problems because people in my community suffered from back problems and other musculoskeletal conditions due to the fact that they had to do lots of household chores, care for their family and carry supplies like firewood and water etc.
The main reason I chose to study chiropractic is that it deals with the natural way of treating without the use of medication. My main goal is to mentor and empower young girls from a disadvantaged background, become a public intellectual, and to become the best chiropractor i can.
My journey has not been easy, I have faced many challenges along the way. One of the challenges I faced was working part-time in order to pay for my tuition fees. Another challenge was sacrificing my time to do household chores which was the biggest challenge towards my education, leaving little time for family and sleep!
I had to study and do my best because my education was my first priority. I was brought up by a single parent, but my dedication and devotion kept me motivated to deal with all the challenges and struggles.
Last year I was offered a bursary by the Chiropractic Association of South Africa, this bursary changed my life because I had outstanding tuition fees and if I did not get it then I was not going to be able to finish my studies.
Once I qualify, I want to gain more knowledge from other chiropractors with many years of clinical experience. I will do so by working as a locum/associate chiropractor in the first three years after graduating. Once I have gained knowledge my main goal will be to open my own private practice and make chiropractic treatment available to all individuals from different backgrounds.”
African Chiropractic Federation 