Absa unlocks opportunities for Wits students
- Wits University
Absa has donated R5.6 million towards student funding at Wits University.
Challenges around student funding often impede the academic excellence of students facing financial insecurity, as they are constantly worrying about how to fund their studies.
Absa continues their support in aiding financially struggling students and handed over a donation of R5.6 million to Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tawana Kupe, on Tuesday, 7 August 2018 towards student funding.
Accepting the cheque on behalf of the University, Professor Kupe thanked Absa for their continued partnership with the University to contribute to skills development and for investing in talented Africans.
“Skills development and training needs partnerships. The University cannot do it alone. We cannot depend on government – we cannot depend on government alone. The partnership with Absa makes a decisive difference and ensures that those people who could have been left out due to lack of funding, are not,” says Kupe.
The donation made was for the Absa Scholarship Fund and the Absa Bursary Fund. Both funds enable academically talented but financially challenged students to study with less financial burdens.
The Absa Scholarship Fund will support around 60 students this year.
Absa has been supporting students at Wits University since 2012 and has continued to forge strong partnerships with the University.
Khensani Mnisi, Head of Gauteng Public Sector at Absa said the donation also aimed to solidify Absa’s long standing partnership with Wits.
“With our rebrand we now speak about ‘Africanicity’, which means we have the tenacity to address any challenge that come our way, by being Brave, Passionate and Ready. We are saying, “we are ready to be your partners; we are ready to make sure that an African child gets a good opportunity for their education.”
Jerome September, Wits Dean of Students, said the donation will make a huge difference to students by lifting the financial burden and enabling them to focus on their studies.