Rock solid alumni

The Geosciences Alumni Fund and the Mones Michaels Trust supported eight Honours students in 2016. One of them, Nkimo Moleleki, explained what this meant to him:

“I am a double orphan who comes from a family of an unemployed guardian and siblings who have no stable or regular work. I am the only one in the family with tertiary education. I realised the need to take a huge step towards bringing sustainability into the family that took me in. I worked for 22 months as a high school teacher after my undergraduate graduation. It helped me save up for further studies and to help my family.

“In 2016 I took the greatest and bravest step in my entire life by enrolling at Wits as a self-funding student.

“This journey could have been nothing but an unguided dive into an ocean had it not been through the help I generously received from the School of Geosciences through sponsors. It goes without saying that my savings were not going to be enough to sustain my tuition and living expenses. I used the money to get to and from school and to buy lunch on a daily basis. I was also able to buy toiletries and stationery. I cannot say enough how helpful the funding has been to me. My family and I extend our most heartfelt gratitude to the School of Geosciences and the sponsors.”

Specialist blasting company BME has donated R70 000 to the School of Mining Engineering for needy and deserving students. “It is always heartening to see how the School and its alumni have over the years rallied to support students from underprivileged backgrounds, so that they can focus on their studies in a conducive and enabling environment,” said BME marketing manager Hayley Wayland. “As BME, we value the opportunity to play our role in leveling the educational playing field and ensuring the skills our industry needs.”

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