Movement reaches out to needy students
PRAKTISEER/MOTETEMA
A collective of young people from Express Student Movement organization, has embarked on an initiative to feed destitute students at Sekhukhune TVET College campuses.
The organization donated to a total of twenty students from two campuses of Sekhukhune TVET College, at CS Barlow Campus in Motetema and Dr CN Phatudi Campus in Burgersfort.
Express Student Movement is an independent student organization based in various colleges of Sekhukhune and other parts of Limpopo Province.
Express Student Movement founder, John Leshilo, said they have started the initiative to help students who are in dire need after they could not receive their allowances from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
“We started the initiative to benefit the students who are in distress in the college. The benefiting students are the ones who are not getting their personal care funding and other allowances from NSFAS such as accommodation, food and transport,” he said.
Leshilo said the movement is providing the students with enough relief packages of groceries that will last for a period of a month.
“We are trying to explore the initiative to reach out to more needy students at all campuses of Sekhukhune TVET College. The little challenge we currently have is that we get the donations through fundraising and some of the money is coming from my pocket,” he said.
However, Leshilo said they are up in arms lobbying for more donations from local businesses to tackle food insecurity issues among students.
“It has been difficult for many students who are affected by the delayed NSFAS funding, they cannot concentrate in class because they are hungry. Many are orphans and some of them their parents are unemployed. It has been a struggle for many years now and the college is doing nothing to help them. Our intention is to feed more than hundred students from all campuses before the end of the current academic year,” he said.
Leshilo said even when they receive donations from businesses that are not closer to them, they are struggling to go and pick up the donate goods because they still lack their own transportation.
“That is our biggest challenge, we make a plea to anyone who might assist with transport to come forward,” he said.
