Thuto Foundation helps Alina lend a helping hand to rural youth
When it comes to underprivileged youth and education Alina Mamabolo (26) has a very soft spot and aim on creating as much awareness as well as making as big a change.
POLOKWANE- ‘The Thuto Foundation is a non-profit organisation that aims to change the lives of rural youth, with educational information through projects such as annual career university and bursary day (CUB day) winter school, establishing libraries as well as mentorship. The Thuto Foundation was registered as a non-profit organisation in December 2017, however, we started with the annual CUB day in 2016. We work closely with local community organisations that share similar objectives and we are currently working with the JSM community project helps to establish a library in Laastehoop.
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Our aim with the foundation is to see our rural areas developed as well as inform, educate, motivate and inspire to follow their dreams, get educated and start their own businesses.
Alina says she has always had a big place in her heart for the underprivileged and was born and raised in Laastehoop, Ga Molepo, Limpopo in a small village of Ga Malatji, Mankobane.
“I grew up in a typical African family, with my aunts, uncles and siblings all of us being under my grandparents’ care, while my mother was studying and later working in Gauteng. I had a very normal and happy childhood and enjoyed playing diketo, kgati, tshwantshwadi, mantlwane (house) and boredi with my friends and family members,” she explains.
She adds that one of her proudest moments in life was obtaining her science degree.
“After matric, I moved to Pretoria to further my studies at University of Pretoria. I graduated in a BSc Actuarial and Financial Mathematics degree. I chose my career because in high school, I developed a love for mathematics and was doing very well in class that one of my teachers (Mr Maromani) told me about actuarial sciences. If it wasn’t for Mr Maromani I would probably not have chosen this career.”
Alina says this made her realise that there are many courses out there that some learners in rural areas are not exposed to.
“That’s why I started the Thuto Foundation, to expose rural learners to the broad information available out there. But without my friends and acquaintances I would never have reached this goal. Frans Machethe, Jackson Maake, Justice Tema, Nicolette Molepo, Sarah Ramannye, Abrina Ramakadi, Clodean Mothapo, Robert Nkhabelane, Tshidiso Rabore, Tiisetso Makwela, Morongwa Malahlela, Flora Molelemane and Mohlapa Lekgothoane are names worth mentioning because they are the stars of Thuto Foundation and we need more people like them to volunteer their time and knowledge to shape the young people in the rural areas,” she concluded.
