Change the world

25/01/2016

This article appeared in the Weekend Post of 23 January 2016, written by Devon Koen.

HELPING HANDS: NMMU students have started an aid campaign

Launched by the university’s Student Representative Council (SRC), the initiative kicked off yesterday.

The initiative aims to help students in need as they wait for the outcome of their applications for financial assistance.

"Every day, dreams are shattered by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) which has been informing students that they are unsuccessful due to insufficient funds,” NMMU SRC president Nicholas Nyati said.

The campaign kicked off yesterday, with students stationed at various intersections around Port Elizabeth where they waved placards calling for donations.

Nyati said some students who were desperately in need of funds are beacons of hope for their brothers and sisters.

"Children of domestic workers, children of mineworkers, orphans and children of child-headed households are going to suffer the most."

Nyati said the SRC had decided to end the cycle of dropouts and exclusions due to finances.

"It cannot be that more than 1 600 students at NMMU alone are at risk of being excluded from higher education because the government does not want to prioritise a brighter future. "We are officially launching

to raise funds to support our students.”

Nyati added that a food bank and book-collection programme was also being started.

He said the programme aimed to help students who had registered through the “registration exemption process”, but had no means to buy food and text books.

Nyati said anyone interested in being part of the campaign could take donations of textbooks and food packs to the SRC at their offices on the NMMU north and south campuses.

For the next seven working days student representatives will be carrying placards around Port Elizabeth asking for donations from the community.

"These contributions will be collected and delivered to deserving students who are in dire need of them," he said.

For more information on how to help, contact the SRC on or 041-504 3574 or 078 161 7805.

Contact information
Mrs Debbie Derry
Deputy Director: Communication
Tel: 041 504 3057
debbie.derry@mandela.ac.za