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well in matric, but they all qualified for tertiary study bursaries - and those who have completed their studies are working up a storm in their respective fields.
Bongani Ngogela, currently working as a systems analyst at Pioneer Foods in Paarl, was one of the first scholars to benefit from the fund.
He was a promising matriculant at the Desmond Tutu High School in Mbekweni, without any hope of studying further, when the Fund came to his assistance.
"Two months before my final exam, in August 1997, the fund sponsored my extra maths classes. This improved my final matric marks."
In December 1998 he obtained a bursary from Pioneer Foods and enrolled at the Cape Technikon where he recently completed his studies in Information Technology.
Sbusiso Maseti is also a product of Desmond Tutu High who attended sponsored Master Maths classes in the afternoons.
He subsequently obtained a Pioneer bursary and qualified in computer studies (MCSE) at a private IT college in Cape Town. He now works in Pioneer Foods' computer department.
Asya Styodana also from Desmond Tutu High, is starting her third year in accounting studies at UCT.
The fund assisted her to attend Master Maths classes in grades 11 and 12 and Ernst & Young then provided a university scholarship. She is one of only two students in the country who qualified for this bursary.
She says she found it quite difficult to adapt to life away from her township home and live in a university hostel, but she soon came to terms with student life and made lasting friends.
Adille Martin showed such promise in primary school that she received a full scholarship from the Newton Johnson Fund to complete her schooling at Gymnasium High School. Last year she matriculated there with an A aggregate.
She will be studying Business Science at the University of Cape Town this year with a Pioneer bursary and hopes to become a chartered accountant.
Juanita van Wyk was a pupil at Noorder Paarl High, but did not know how she would be able to afford further studies.
"The fund helped with extra mathematics classes at our school and it improved my grades," she said.
Then Pioneer came to her assistance and she has just completed her first year of accounting at the University of the Western Cape.
Her advice to ambitious youngsters: "Never stop dreaming - and work hard towards your goal."
Two other beneficiaries of tertiary bursaries from the Fund, Enrico Jacobs (IT) and Arthur Ehrenreich (engineering),have completed degrees at the Cape Technikon |
