Nurse Reen💁‍♀️💉

H❤️💍
M R 💙👼

[University of KwaZulu-Natal @UKZN]

For years, Onazo Daniso balanced life as a medical student by day and a part-time nurse by night. While physically and emotionally taxing, she kept going fueled by the strong conviction that her true calling lay in being a doctor.

On Wednesday, that belief was vindicated as she crossed the graduation stage at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), earning her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree,
cum laude.

The 29-year-old, now an intern at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Durban, achieved what once seemed impossible. Her cum laude pass reflects an academic average of at least 75% across all her modules which is a remarkable feat for anyone, but even more so for someone who spent years juggling work, study, student leadership, financial hardship, and the emotional weight of front-line pandemic duty.

“I have always wanted to be a doctor. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love my job I think I would have been miserable doing something else,” she said shortly after her graduation.

Daniso’s love for medicine began in the Eastern Cape town of Lusikisiki, where she grew up witnessing the healthcare struggles of rural communities. The idea of becoming a doctor was further planted in her mind while in Grade 11 and living with her uncle in King Williams Town.

“I was attending extra classes that were funded by Cell C to help pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. One of the teachers pulled me aside and suggested I consider medicine. At first, I
doubted myself,” she said.

In 2013 while in Matric she applied to study medicine at the University of the Free State but was only accepted to study nursing—her second choice.
She began her Nursing degree in 2014, but financial struggles threatened to derail her success.

Her determination didn’t waver. She wrote directly to the university’s Vice-Chancellor. The gamble paid off: her first year fees were cleared, and a door opened for a private bursar to fund her studies from second year.
NSFAS later funded her final two years. By 2018, she had completed her nursing degree and had to undertake one year of paid community service.

Earning money felt good but she still couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t where she was meant to be.

“I always told my colleagues I was going back to study medicine. I needed to understand more and to be part of the decision-making,” she explained.
But another hurdle remained. Her bursary conditions required her to work for the sponsoring company for three years after her community service.
Rather than give up, Daniso started saving aggressively – setting aside more than two thirds of her salary each month.

“I continued living like a student just to save money,” she said. By year-end, she had scraped together the R116,000 needed to repay the bursar and some money needed to register at UKZN.

She began her medical degree at UKZN in 2019. In the first month of study (February) she commuted between Bloemfontein and Durban, attending classes on her off days. This was because she still had to fulfill her contractual obligations for community service until the end of that month.

In March, she relocated fully to Durban. Funding remained uncertain and she later launched a BackaBuddy campaign, raising R11,000, and later returned to part-time nursing to stay afloat.
Then came COVID-19 in 2020. “We were sent home and only returned to campus around June,” she said. As lockdowns deepened and hospitals filled, Daniso took shifts in high-risk wards, the so-called “red zones”.

“In December, I worked at a private hospital. I was the nursing sister, working six night shifts a week with just one day off. So many patients died. I still remember some of their faces. I hated the system and how powerless it made us feel.”

The trauma caught up with her. She took a break from nursing to protect her mental health and regroup. Even so, the chaos of the pandemic only sharpened her determination to pursue medicine.

“It made me more certain that I needed to become a doctor.” She returned to her studies and, in
the years that followed, continued to work and study under intense pressure.

She made the best of her years as a student even holding key student leadership positions.
“I felt the need to serve my community and so I served as a student leader. I think I was motivated by all the hardships I had faced as a student. I kept on seeing these gaps that needed
to be plugged”.

She was voted into the SRC in 2021/2022 and in 2023/2024 was voted as the finance officer for medical school.

She had to relinquish that position a month later after she received a scholarship to study at the University of Graz in Austria. In her final year of study, she was the final year Class Representatives and Final Year Committee chairperson.
Now working as an intern doctor at Prince Mshiyeni Hospital, Daniso has no regrets. She is looking forward to the road ahead.

#UKZNGrad2025 #UKZN #InspiringGreatness #AfricanExcellence #Inspired2032

[Words @wordstionary]

White flag era 🏳️🤍

[Anele Mdoda @Anele]

🕊️ The best to ever do it.

When she killed Duncan, her own husband’s son, I knew we had unlocked another level of villain.

Rest in peace Michelle Botes but to us… Cherel Devilliers Haines

[s @yoongienthusias]

i saw a palestinian foetus burnt inside their mothers womb and all you have is AI images. it’s really dystopian how we are supposed to believe and outrage over cartoons but are anti semitic for standing for children of palestine.

[Sonny Bill Williams @SonnyBWilliams]

I grew up in a housing commission household with no wallpaper on it, my dad was a labourer & my uncles were gang members. My mother dropped out of school at 13, not surprising I wasn’t a kid full of self worth/confidence. I know I gained a lot of confidence & motivation from seeing Pacifica athletes that looked like my dad and uncles playing professionally. I wanted to be like them so I could buy mum a house with wallpaper on it.

Inspiration comes from a lot of things sir. In my humble opinion I believe the picture of Kolisi holding the Web Ellis cup is definitely doing that for some of those youth. ❤️🤲🏾

[𝐒𝖍𝖆𝐤𝖆 𝐙𝖚𝖑𝖚 @_shwabade_]

I miss me . Growing up and the things that I’ve been through have changed me so much , it’s to the point where when I’m sitting alone I don’t even recognise myself anymore. I miss the old me so much

[mitski’s crack baby @Sonaleeey]

3pm naps need to be introduced into the Basic Conditions of Employment Act

[mai🇵🇸 @sadthedreamer]

7de laan has done more for Afrikaans Eerste Addisionele Taal than any curriculum ever could 🙏🏼

[The Holy Mosques @theholymosques]

Largest human gathering in the world!!
Just imagine whole Ummah getting united on the day of Qiyamah!

#Hajj1444 #hajj #hajj2023

[Lè @lightupastate]

Watch how it’ll be HCW that are blamed for this when in reality they were probably just trying to prevent the newborns from dying from hypothermia. They would also have been blamed if they did nothing and the babies died.

[Nurse Reen💁‍♀️💉 @2nasu5]

Agree, all it took was one date to know he's the man I'm going to marry, the father of my babies😍😍😍😍.

2 years later, 1 angel baby💙 and another on the way, best decision ever made😍❤️

[amaliaxoxo @amalnotclooney]

I’m a firm believer in “If you know, you know”. I knew on date 1 I was going to marry my husband 😂🥰

My grandparents knew w/i a couple of weeks, 49 yrs, 7 kids, 60+ g & ggkids later 🥰 they were the most happy & inlove people I knew ❤️ may Allah swt grant my Papa Jannah IA ❤️

[🍉🕊🇵🇸 ن @Nazeerah_V]

Ladies , if you're pregnant 🤰, you need to GO to the clinic / DR and BOOK your pregnancy. ( Request your antenatal card)
Antenatal visits are IMPERATIVE to prevent , detect, and treat any pregnancy related issues.

[Nurse Reen💁‍♀️💉 @2nasu5]

Ooh allah, let the day come where you reunite us with our babies who were too good for this dunya❤️

[HAMZA @rarenaldo_]

after a miscarriage when a fetus is returned to Allãh. Allãh holds the child and carries it into a garden filled with other kids. He says" today your every need will be fulfilled, play in comfort, rest in peace, all joys of jannah are for you. to that the child replies" (1/2)

[QUOTES @TeenagerBook]

You deserve to be happy, loved & appreciated..

[RASHID KAY™ @rashid_kay]

Two doctors: Guess which one is a criminal?

[FaTEA @Fatikles]

A miracle of the Quran is that despite it being so vast it is also simultaneously comprehensive and concise.
Consider verse 233 in Surah Baqarah regarding aspects of family life. Consisting of 6½ lines of text & approx 60+ words, it contains 23 laws of jurisprudence

الله أكبر!

[Zaheera Haffejee 🇵🇸 @ZahHaffejee]

Last Ramadan without a child
Last Ramadan without a spouse
Last Ramadan without a soulmate
Last Ramadan without rizq
Last Ramadan without a secure halal job
Last Ramadan without peace
Last Ramadan without hijaab/modesty
Last Ramadan without Hajj and Umrah

[Cupcake “Cuppy” 😍😍😍 @Hlela_Lulubel]

The way we were all routing for you and your recovery 💔💔💔 Thank you for sharing your hard fought journey with us. Rest easy now champ, you fought a good fight🙏🏾
Condolences to your family, friends and especially your beautiful girls🙏🏾🫶🏾❤️❤️❤️

#RIPMarkPilgrim