WE may not have all the answers to the challenges facing young people, but investing in education is the best gift we can give to our youth, with a hope that it will assist in their quest to become better communities.
This was the feeling of the Head of Mkhwanazi Traditional Authority, iNkosi Mandla Mkhwanazi.
He was addressing a group of 31 students who received bursaries offered by the Mkhwanazi Community Public Benefit Trust.
The students converged on Mkhwanazi Traditional Court last week to receive the bursaries to further their studies at various tertiary institutions.
‘As the Traditional Council, we are here to reaffirm what former President Nelson Mandela said about education.
‘Like Madiba, we believe that education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.’
Mkhwanazi praised his predecessor the late iNkosi Mkhontokayise Mkhwanazi, who saw the need to establish a bursary fund within the Trust to assist the children of the area.
‘If it was not for the vision of my predecessor, we would not have been able to assist more than 84 students through this bursary fund.
‘There were many activities identified by the Trust, but education was the one that touched the lives of all our people. That’s why we are investing in education in this manner.’
INkosi Mkhwanazi stressed that the bursaries were not free, but were based on merit.
Chairperson of the Mkhwanazi Community Public Benefit Trust, Blessing Mkhwanazi echoed iNkosi Mkhwanazi’s sentiments, saying the bursaries were intended for students residing in all 15 reserves under Mkhwanazi Traditional Authority.
‘We started offering a 50% tuition fee, but now we are offering full tuition fees to our students who reside in Nhlangenyuke, Ntuze, Nyembe, Sihuzu, Nkonjane, Ongoye Mission, Ngujini, Port Durnford, Matholonjeni, eSikhaleni, KwaNdaya, Khandisa, Lugweba, Mahunu and Msasandla Reserve.
‘We also monitor the performance of each student, and if a student performs below par, we terminate the bursary.
‘We offer bursaries only to deserving students in areas aligned to specific skills needs like such as physical science, marketing, accounting, economics, IT, banking, computer sciences, engineering, agriculture and medicine,’ he said.
