During a cheque presentation ceremony held at Dénisburg on the Pretoria Campus, Amasi Mwela, CEO of FUNDI, said: “Giving back to the community is a big part of FUNDI’s DNA, it’s a big part of who we are and we intend to keep it entrenched in everything we do. This is why it made sense for us to donate to the TUT Bursary and Scholarship Fund.”

Mwela added that “this donation is the company’s way of saying we want to realise dreams by ensuring that education reaches as many people as possible.” He also said that when he reviewed the reason behind the establishment of this fund, it made sense to want FUNDI to have a hand in growing it to ensure it reaches more students.

In thanking FUNDI for their support, Mari Booysen, Director of the Advancement and Partnerships Office (APO), said these donations are key to ensuring that the TUT Bursary and Scholarship Fund remains sustainable, continues to grow and reaches as many disadvantaged students as possible. “It is believed that the fund can, over time, assist in alleviating the acute student financing deficit in the country,” she added.

Prof Lourens van Staden, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, stressed that TUT is a people’s university and it prides itself on not showing away deserving students who cannot afford to study.

The TUT Bursary and Scholarship Fund was established by the APO a couple of years ago from the premise that the escalating cost of higher education in South Africa cannot become a source of exclusion for the poor and vulnerable.

Since its establishment in 1996, FUNDI has provided 900 000 loans to students, sponsors and companies with funding to the collective value of R5 billion. In 2016 alone, it assisted 180 000 students.

For more information on the Tshwane University of Technology please contact Willa de Ruyter on tel: 012 382 5352 or send an email to deruyterw@tut.ac.za.