STUDENTS RECEIVE COMPUTER EQUIPMENT TO HELP LOCKDOWN STUDIES

With tertiary institutions in lockdown, due to COVID-19, many students that don’t have sufficient resources and the necessary equipment, are faced with uncertainty and distress. Luckily for Nezlia Blaauw and five other West Coast scholarship beneficiaries enrolled in the 2020 academic year, she has received equipment, to help her continue her academic work during the national lockdown.

Each of the students received a new laptop, fully installed with the necessary software to help with the at-home learning, research and assignments during the national lockdown.

“Time after time my bursary gives me a new and even better reason to be grateful and every time I realize how fortunate I really am,” commented Nezlia Blaauw, who is from Hopefield in the Western Cape. She is in her third year at Cape Town University of Technology, Wellington campus, studying towards B.Ed. Foundation Phase Teaching.

“This is a tough time for students, who are trying to achieve their academic qualifications, something that can’t be done without the necessary support and equipment during this period of isolation,” said Celiwe Mabaso, Community Operations Manager for Umoya Energy Wind Farm.

The Umoya Energy Scholarship Programme was launched nearly five years ago to provide tertiary education funding for youth. The focus is to contribute towards human resource development in fields considered critical for the South African economy. The programme targets high school learners across the West Coast who have limited opportunities to access scholarships, this also means that they don’t need to compete against learners from other provinces.

Umoya Energy identified various skill shortages in the local communities of the surrounding area. To address these skills gaps and help to create marketable skills within the young men and women of the area, the Scholarship programme focuses on the fields of study include teaching, engineering, science, environment and nursing.