Investing in the future of our country’s children

With the scarcity of talent and learner support opportunities in South Africa, it is essential for companies to ensure continuous availability of scarce skills to trigger and sustain economic growth. The Transnet Orphaned Youth Education Development Programme (OYEDP) is a critical talent lever to enable our communities to meet the country’s objectives of taking caring of its youth. This programme, which is funded by our Foundation, is targeted to impoverished and vulnerable youth who demonstrate academic potential. The programme comprises of comprehensive packages that cover both financial and developmental support throughout their study periods.

The Transnet Foundation has committed to ensuring that the vision for the country’s future educational environment is clear, bright, and one of great successes. Consequently, our Foundation identified a dire need for orphaned and vulnerable children to receive education to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy—empowering these youths to participate in and contribute to the economy while enriching their own wealth, the lives of their families, and the communities they originate from.

Empowering through education
As a company, we believe that everyone deserves opportunities in life to empower and grow themselves. This is why we are working towards providing the country’s most vulnerable children with educational opportunities, which are essential to their development. Charity begins at home and, consequently, we are investing in our country’s children as a starting point. The vision is to implement the lessons learnt from the programme to eventually benefit children in the rest of the continent as well.

“South Africa has faced many issues around education and continues to face serious barriers to basic needs that are enshrined in the Constitution. From language constraints to access to quality education, tensions run high and it is the youth—the future populace of the country—that suffer,” asserts Ms Cynthia Mgijima, Transnet’s Head of Strategic Corporate Social Investment Portfolio. “Cost is a significantly limiting factor for previously-disadvantaged communities, highlighting the need for government and companies to allocate more bursaries to enable access to tertiary education.”

Passing with flying colours
Senior Manager for Education and Sport, Theresa Vivian Moila, has been the driving force behind the programme, infusing it with doses of motherly love, humanity, and compassion. She always speaks highly of the programme and its beneficiaries. “Witnessing the growth and development of these special young people is something that one simply cannot place a value on,” she beams proudly. “From schooling, to boarding, to school amenities, to clothing and access to quality healthcare, these youths are covered.” The Foundation further assists the orphans by enrolling them in academic enrichment and life skill camps, providing them with the support needed to cope with their studies and daily challenges.

Seventeen learners from the Grade 12 Class of 2018 completed their studies with a 100% pass rate, 85% bachelor pass rate, and 21 distinctions. This highlighted another milestone achievement in the OYEDP. The Grade 12 Class of 2019 did not take this lightly and pledged to beat the record of the Class of 2018. The learners kept to true their word and registered impressive results, obtaining a 100% bachelor pass rate, and 20 distinctions.

Following in iconic females’ footsteps
The top three positions for academic performance went to Njabulo Dlomo, Luyanda Cebekhulu, and Nosihle Mvubu. The three girls were learners at the historic Inanda Seminary, a girls’ school that has produced numerous powerful women, such as Thandi Orleyn, Baleka Mbete, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, and Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela to name just a few. Learners at the school aspire to emulate their predecessors.

Njabulo sought to obtain distinctions throughout her high school career. She explains: “I look up to my sister, who is studying towards a medical degree. She has inspired me to do my best and excel in everything I do. I subscribe to high standards, which I seek to maintain at all times. When I don’t reach my targets of excellent performance, it saddens me. I want to make Transnet, Inanda Seminary, and ISASA proud of me; they all believe in me and gave me an opportunity to be in an environment where I can excel.” Njabulo lived up to her promise and was a top performing learner throughout her stay at Inanda Seminary, exiting with six distinctions. Luyanda followed in her tracks with four distinctions, with Nosihle bagging three. 

In January, 2020, we hosted a life skills workshop event for the OYEDP beneficiaries, where the learners received awards for academic, sporting, and leadership excellence. At the prize-giving dinner, Yonela Bukula, a second-year student at Rhodes University, gave a moving speech: “Transnet has afforded us the best opportunities to access good education, grow as individuals, and have a bright future. We will be forever grateful to Transnet employees, whose efforts and investments in the programme have been made this all possible.”