Woman takes construction jobs to fund tertiary degree

For the four years that she pursued a bachelor's degree in teacher education at the Moneague College in St Ann, Andra Walford, 36, worked at various construction sites within the parish to raise money to support her studies.

The determined mother of two boys, who hails from Brown Hill, Claremont, St Ann, said she also had to contend with many hungry days and depression. When her first son was born in 2008, she was jobless and had many financial difficulties.

"I was going hungry for several days at a time and needed to do something. My sister-in-law told me that they wanted someone to clean a house over by Drax Hall. So I went with her and after that we started to ask at other construction sites if they wanted any workers. I got a few gigs to do some decking at different houses in the area ... until it became a full-time job," a beaming Walford told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Walford, affectionately called 'Teach' by her male counterparts, was tasked with removing debris, laying bricks, carrying sand and blocks, as well as some landscaping.

"Any weh mi could a get the work a deh so mi deh, because I had a goal to achieve and money wasn't easy to come by. Furthermore, I am not the type to sit and wait for anyone to give me anything. Growing up, I learned through my humble background that hard work pays off," said Walford. She admitted that she wasted time at both Kemps Hill and Vere Technical High schools, only receiving a grade two and three passes in four subjects.

"For some reason strange I wasn't as focused as how I should and wanted to be in high school. I found myself idling with friends at both [schools]. As a result, I was never allowed to graduate," said Walford.

Her first son's birth was the turning point. She enrolled in the Beechamville Vocational Training Centre in Claremont, completing a HEART level 2 early childhood certificate. But Walford got another setback when her younger son was diagnosed with the brain disorder dyspraxia in 2019. Walford, who was an assistant teacher at the Fern Grove Basic School in St Ann, struggled to keep her job while attending to a child with special needs and studying. But when she learnt about a part-time study programme at Moneague, which offered a degree in teacher education, she resigned her job and enrolled.

"I had zero money but I took a leap of faith, applied and got accepted. We were supposed to pay a certain amount in order to sit the first exams but I was lucky to have met Mrs Marlene Forrester [head lecturer of the early childhood department), who gave me a loan. During the holidays I decided to work on the sites to fund my education," she said. Walford also made use of other scholarships, including from the CHASE Fund.

Motivated by the Bible verse, Philippians 4:13, which states " I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me", Walford encouraged others never to limit their dreams.

"You just need to start. Always put God first in whatever you do and trust that he will be there guiding your steps. If I had given up, especially I had to find food, no money to cover my son's medical expenses and just to find money to start school, I wouldn't have completed my degree," she said.