Academic raises funds from the street to help needy students

In 2015, the University of Mpumalanga public administration senior lecturer and programme leader for bachelor of administration founded Thusangwanageno, a non-profit organisation raising tertiary education funds for needy students.

Donning his red and black doctoral graduation robes, Molepo became a common feature on Pretoria’s major intersections, pleading with motorists to help him get needy students through higher education.

To date, Thusangwanageno, which is registered with the department of social development, has put over 600 needy students through higher education and helped many others to obtain driver’s licences.

The youngster from the sprawling Soshanguve township, north of Pretoria, knows exactly how it feels to yearn for education but have no means to access it – and he vowed to dedicate his life to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Molepo, the executive director of the SA Association of Public Administration and Management (Saapam), is also a proud example of the power of education, how it plucked him from biting poverty and gave him a place in society.

“I was put through tertiary education by community members, relatives and lecturers until the master’s level of my studies,” the 31 year old said.

“I would not be where I am today if it were not for the people who contributed to my studies.”

Molepo, a staunch Christian, who never misses a Sunday church service, said the compassion and the selflessness of the people who made his education possible was the greatest motivation in his mission.

He said aside from lecturers, many of the people who contributed to his studies were not rich, but lowly paid people like domestic workers, security guards, street vendors and hawkers.

“This is why you will find me at intersections collecting anything I can, from R5 coins to R10 notes. They go a long way. I know how these little contributions put me through school and put food on the table,” Molepo said.

It all started in 2012, during his first job as a graduate officer at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), when a needy student lamented how she had to drop out due to financial difficulties.

Molepo said he could not bare seeing the student leave campus and so decided to pay for her studies from his own pocket. But this proved increasingly unsustainable on his entry level salary, so he sought outside help – and this is how Thusangwanageno was born.

“Besides collecting from intersections, I have colleagues who donate a lot and I am thankful for their kindness. A lot more still needs to be done because many needy students still do not have access to tertiary education. Not because they are not academically gifted and have no potential, but simply because they are poor. That is sad.”

With the assistance of his mentor, Professor Mashupye Maserumule, and Charles Mnisi, Thusangwanageno has grown to painting seven schools, donating mini libraries, and assisted more than 150 students with learner’s and driver’s licences.

The organisation has also covered funding for books of pupils from over 300 schools across the country.

Explaining how Thusangwanageno got its name, he said it was inspired by a friend who always pestered him for money.

“Whenever I told the friend I did not have any money, he would protest and scold me, saying Ga obatle go thusa ngwanageno, meaning “I did not want to help my sibling” in Setswana.

“I took the name from there that we need to assist our brethren.”

Molepo did not go unnoticed. He said parliament and the presidency gave him an award for his immense contribution to his community.

Last year he came 42nd in the 100 most influential young South Africans by Avance Media, bagging the third position in the education category.

After completing matric at Reitumetse high school in 2007, Molepo enrolled for a public administration diploma with TUT, the academic path he pursued until PhD level in 2019.

He started his career in 2012 as a volunteer student assistant at his alma mater before he was appointed as a tutor.

He moved on to work, for six months, as an administrator for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme before he was appointed postgraduate officer.

In a journey he has described as “perforated with hard work and determination”, Molepo was promoted to senior lecturer and programme leader for municipal management at North West University.

He joined the University of Mpumalanga in 2020 as a senior lecturer and later as a programme leader for bachelor of administration.

– siphom@citizen.co.za