Sixty youth from disadvantaged backgrounds have been given an opportunity to further their studies through a bursary fund from the Buffalo City Metro Municipality in the Eastern Cape. The beneficiaries are part of the 2021 matric class.
The bursary fund covers study fees, accommodation and other necessities such as stationery. One of the beneficiaries, Luphumlo Ndezele says he is looking forward to going to Cape Town and studying towards a BSC in Electrical Engineering.
“Both of my parents are still between jobs so I don’t think they would have been able to afford to pay for my fees even to travel to Cape Town, it would cost them, so this is a lifetime opportunity for me,” says Ndezele.
About 200 youth have benefited from this initiative since its inception five years ago. Buffalo City Mayor Xola Pakati says it aims to address critical skills shortages in the province.
“What they are studying is most relevant to what we do as the municipality, engineers, town planners and civil engineers and through the internal processes of employment; we try as the city as part of ploughing back of skills by those whom we can,” says Pakati.
VIDEO: Sixty youth from disadvantaged backgrounds given bursaries from Buffalo City Metro:
