A Degree Born in Grief
...Mother Honours Daughter’s Battle with Cancer
When Ngozi Julian Onyeneke first joined the police force in 2015, a Bachelor of Criminal Justice Degree was not part of her original academic plan. However, over time, her daily work began to shape a deeper curiosity and commitment to the field. “My inspiration came from my work,” she explains. “The more I learned on the job, the more I wanted to grow, improve, and understand the field better.” What began as professional exposure eventually became a personal pursuit of knowledge and purpose.
A journey tested by illness and sacrifice
Behind her academic journey lay a deeply personal battle spanning six years caring for her daughter, Hulda Shangela Gideon, who was diagnosed with leukemia. The challenge intensified in 2025 when Hulda’s condition became critical. “Balancing being a student and a mother during that time was extremely difficult,” she recalls. “I had to attend classes while also taking her to hospital appointments and chemotherapy. Sometimes I left her in hospital just to attend class, and other times I missed academic responsibilities because she needed me.”
Financial strain added to the pressure, but she found support in unexpected places. Classmates, lecturers, her cousin, and mothers at the Cancer Association House all played a role in helping her stay on track. Above all, her daughter remained her greatest source of strength. In a Facebook post, the Cancer Association of Namibia posted “We have made the journey together, the long road was very tough. Now we pray your final journey home to Heaven will be with Angel chorus, dear little Hulda. We mourn the passing of one of our little CHICA fighters.
A child who became her greatest motivation
Hulda was more than a patient she was the heartbeat of her mother’s perseverance. “She meant everything to me. She was my reason for wanting to grow, succeed, and build a better life,” Onyeneke says.
She remembers her daughter as a joyful, funny child who loved laughter and even created nicknames for people around her. “Even in difficult moments, she chose joy and brought light into every space she was in.”
One memory remains especially vivid: “When I was studying, she would sit next to me with her own paper and pen, solving simple maths problems and marking herself just so she wouldn’t distract me. That was her way of supporting me.”
Loss, legacy, and a graduation dedicated to love
Hulda passed away on 3 April 2026 after her long battle with cancer. The loss reshaped how Onyeneke sees her upcoming graduation. “I was not planning to attend my graduation,” she admits. “But now it feels deeply personal. It is more than a degree, it represents everything we went through together.”
In May, she will graduate, dedicating the milestone entirely to her daughter.
