Two students studying in Cape Town are among the lucky recipients of Green Economy bursaries covering their full study and accommodation costs.
Energy company Baker Hughes worked with student crowdfunding platform Feenix, to select students for the Green Economy Bursary and Internship for this year. 23 Recipients were announced during a virtual event recently.
Simo-Sihle Mvinjelwa, country leader for transformation at Baker Hughes, said the Green Bursary bursary program supports students in the engineering, accounting, sales and marketing fields of study.
“Undergraduate and post-graduate students at any of the country’s 26 public universities were invited to apply for this year’s round of bursaries. Furthermore, the program will be focused in assisting South Africa in building the skills required to transition South Africa into a green economy that is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive,” he said.
One of the benificiaries is Ziziphi Mntumbi (25), a second year mechanical engineering student from Idutywa in the Eastern Cape, who is studying at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
Mntumbi who said she had never before won anything, revealed that as a first-generation student in her family, she had the desire and the determination but lacked the financial backing needed to achieve her goal of becoming a mechanical engineer.
“This bursary meant that I was finally getting the help I’ve always wanted in order to pursue both my academic and career dreams as the first in my family. Knowing that I had no student debt gave me relief, and I was motivated to fully focus on my studies and pass all my modules.” She has been allocated R92 566 to pay for her accommodation and tuition bill.
Another beneficiary Nontathu Mtshawuli (25) finished her final year of electrical engineering studies at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She hails from Mount Frere, in the Eastern Cape.
Mtshawuli says the R64 759 she was allocated will be put towards her tuition fees.
“It means i won’t be financially excluded by the institution, at first I felt so special but now I am just happy and appreciate that my tuition is paid,” she adds.
According to Mvinjelwa, some of the students who were selected will also receive practical experience through internships with their company, to help them become more attractive and better prepared prospective employees.
“Corporates have a duty to invest in skills development initiatives, as they have the power to help change the alarming unemployment statistics in South Africa.”
In a statement the company revealed that it had allocated R1.4 million to the 23 students from across the country to cover for their full study and accommodation fees.