The Durban University of Technology (DUT) continues to commend all its essential workers for their dedication and commitment in providing services to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. DUT’s Communications team’s Simangele Zuma spoke to Ms Nomonde Peter, Lecturer in the Fashion and Textiles Department at DUT’s Brickfield Campus.
Q: Kindly tell me about your role at DUT?
A: “I am a Lecturer in the Fashion and Textiles Department at Brickfield Campus.”
Q: How long have you been in that role?
A: “I have been a lecturer for more than 20 years, but I joined DUT in September 2020.”
Q: Please describe yourself in a few words?
A: “I am a self-motivated and hardworking Fashion educator specialising in Pattern Technology and Garment Technology. My passion is to produce cutting edge Fashion Designers. I am always looking for opportunity to do better and achieve greatness. I love being around people and I enjoy working with students. It always excites me to see them evolve over their duration of study.”
Q: How has it been like working during COVID-19?
A: “The impact of COVID has changed the workplace drastically, and with Fashion this was even more challenging as most of our modules are practical and requires students to use laboratories and, in some cases, have to use the University computer labs as some software are not accessible. The best that I have learnt is to understand that we are all different.”
Q: How do you deal with the fear of contracting COVID-19 and losing loved ones due to this virus?
A: “This is something that is too personal of which sometimes I’m not too comfortable, as I am personally affected by it. Within four months of moving to Durban I contracted COVID-19 and I lost my beloved mother due to COVID-19. I look forward to us all sharing, crying, laughing and showing off our wounds from the effects of COVID-19.”
Q: What is your daily motivation?
A: “Every day is a new day, no one knows my story than I do, and everyone’s journey is different.”
Q: Please take me through a normal day in your life?
A: “I wake up at 05H15 weekdays and drop my kids at their schools. My lectures start at 08H00 and end around 14H20. These are always extended to like 16H00, and sometimes around 17H00. I fetch my kids from school, head home to prepare dinner, look at their homework, and do my work, and I go to bed around 22H30 on a normal day.”
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A: “I wish I had lots of money as I would go shopping every day. When I’m not working, I like to relax by cooking and taking a walk with my kids. I love spending time with them.”
Q: If you had one wish what would it be?
A: “I would wish for respect, love and understanding in our younger generation. For our children to believe in themselves and their roots, and that their attitude towards life will determine their altitude.”
