Madiba's Legacy Ignites Bursary Opportunities at NMMU
Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, (15 July 2014) - Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) is taking 'grass roots' action against the critical state of education in the Eastern Cape, using education itself as the weapon to fight for change. In a call for action, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Trust, have established the 'Ignite a Career, Bursary Legacy Campaign'.
As a major player in the most poverty stricken province in the country, NMMU has identified a dire need to make tertiary education accessible to students who, through economic and social constraints require financial aid in order to stand a chance at any future career. The Eastern Cape consistently represents the lowest matric pass rates, and Bachelor passes, particularly in Maths and Science, in secondary schooling nationwide, and, and is markedly the province with the highest levels of poverty.
The campaign is a concrete step towards realising tertiary education opportunities for ten promising, students from within the region who, under their current circumstances, would never have had access to tertiary learning.
The campaign aims to “ignite the careers” of potential students by providing them with full tuition to study at NMMU for four years. NMMU will engage university professionals, students, working professionals and residents of Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounds, to support the campaign’s efforts, and in so doing, support the education of our country’s future generations.
Through an inspirational drive, the campaign is making it possible for ordinary people, working men and women, to support the leaders of tomorrow by giving them the chance to study today. Designed to encourage a spirit of individual philanthropy within the community, the “Bursary Legacy Campaign” aims to inspire individuals to help irrevocably change the lives of deserving young men and women.
Individuals are requested to pledge R500 to purchase the “lighting of a candle” and, in so doing, contribute towards “igniting a career”. The names and candles of donors will be placed on the NMMU online Bursary Legacy Wall to honour the legacy of the late Nelson Mandela and support a cause that was very close to his heart. Online interactive platforms will be created to enable donors to follow the progress of recipients as they embark on their life-changing journeys.
“We are searching for the leaders of the future, the movers and shakers, the innovators and those individuals who will make a difference if given the chance to empower themselves through tertiary education,” says Renita Affat, Acting CEO of the NMMU Trust
“NMMU is looking for those who have shone among their peers and demonstrated tenacity, passion and a will to succeed ‘no matter what.’ The very same character traits a young Nelson Mandela was known for.”
The Bursary Legacy Campaign was launched by the university Trust t to support their drive towards “fostering tomorrow”. The late Nelson Mandela, the man after whom the University is named, believed in the value and importance of education as a powerful weapon that can change the world. Madiba also believed that each and every one of us has the ability to make a difference in the lives of others and it was on this foundation that the Campaign was based.
Education in our province is in crisis. With a population of more than 6 million people, representing 12.7% (third largest) of the South African population, the Eastern Cape remains one of the most poverty stricken provinces in the country and represents some of the highest levels of poverty (70%), underdeveloped infrastructure and unemployment in the country. With a rural population of 62%, many communities do not have access to safe drinking water, sanitation or electricity and almost 2 million people in the province are surviving on little to no income at all.
Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University is making a concerted effort to revitalise education in our province by engaging the community of Nelson Mandela Bay to support this initiative. Pledges can be made via the Trust’s website and you can follow the campaign on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Bursary-Legacy-Campaign/739489899422531?ref_type=bookmark .