Mboneleli Gqirana, the founder of Khaltsha Youth Hub, is a man on a mission.
And his missing is to empower and change the lives of young people and his latest initiative is the establishment of the Zoliswa Gqirana bursary fund, named in honour of his mother who always encouraged him to further his education.
The bursary, which aims to give young women an opportunity to complete their studies, is currently only open to Site C residents.
The 30-year-old said he was thrilled when he received a call from a donor who wanted to assist young women who might be struggling to fund their studies.
Applicants can be studying any course and should be in their first year of study – however, said Mr Gqirana, they may consider applicants in their second year, depending on the circumstances.
A total of R50 000 has been put aside, 75% of which would be paid directly to the university and the rest into the student’s account. As part of the pilot project, only one recipient will be chosen.
“I was extremely excited when I received such a call because it has always been my mission and goal to make a lasting difference in my community.
“Site C is my hood hence the fund wants someone from that area because it is up to us to change the outlook of our areas. This fund has nothing to do with government or any other stakeholders.
“When I started my organisation last year, I wanted to make a positive impact in the lives of young people in my community and I feel that dream is slowly becoming a reality. I want to be counted amongst the young people who made a change in my community,” he said.
Many township students, he said, dropped out of school due to lack of finances, he said, and through this initiative, his organisation hoped to give hope to young girls who might be feeling hopeless. And in return, he hopes they will plough back into the community when they are able to.
For more information, call Mr Gqirana at 081 375 0147