Johannesburg, Monday 2 March 2020 – It takes over R150 000 to fund a BCom CA-Stream student’s varsity dreams every year. Thanks to the generous donations of funders and partners, SAICA’s Thuthuka Bursary is able to help BCom Accounting students from disadvantaged backgrounds attend university with the goal of helping them achieve their dreams of becoming a Chartered Accountant (CA[SA]). Thanks to the MySchool programme, you can make a difference to a student’s life too – without even trying.
What is Thuthuka?
The objective of the Thuthuka Bursary is to provide educational support to African and Coloured students in order to transform the demographics of the chartered accountancy profession to reflect those of the country in terms of race and gender.
‘Since launching 16 years ago, the Thuthuka Bursary has supported over 3 000 aspiring CAs(SA) through their university studies and created more than 1 400 qualified CAs(SA) – this is an amazing feat considering that it takes a minimum of seven years to qualify. Taking on a new first-year cohort of roughly 300 students every year since its inception, the Thuthuka Bursary currently supports over 1 000 fully funded students at different levels of study ranging from first year to postgraduate level at universities around the country. Sadly, a lack of funding is the reality for many South African youth. Indeed, around 8.2 million (40.1%) of SA’s 20.4 million young people aren’t in employment, education or training – and most of this is caused by the shortage of funds going towards this cause.
Luckily, there is an easy (and effortless) way you can help aspiring CAs(SA) around the country.
An effortless way to change a student’s life
As a beneficiary of the MySchool initiative, Thuthuka earns 0.5% of the value of your spend when you swipe your MySchool card at one of its 1 600 nationwide partner stores including Woolworths, Engen, Altech Netstar, Waltons, Jacks Paint and many more.
Last year alone, Thuthuka’s 700-person strong MySchool supporters raised over R43 000 through their MySchool swipes. And the best part is, it costs you nothing to make Thuthuka a beneficiary to your MySchool Card. Simply visit www.myschool.co.za and update the beneficiaries attached to your profile or, if you do not have a card yet, you can sign up on the website or download the app to start earning Thuthuka funds today.
Why support Thuthuka?
When it comes to changing a student’s life, every cent counts explains Ayanda Mabunda a Thuthuka beneficiary studying at the University of Pretoria: “My mother is a single parent who is raising two children. When I started university, my sibling was already in university and she did not have any external financial assistance. My mother had to take care of her fees alone. My mother would not have survived if she had to pay for my university fees as well. Thuthuka’s support has taken away a huge financial burden and has helped me move closer to achieving my dreams. Thank you for extending a helping hand.”
Moloko Ronald Raphadu, a Thuthuka beneficiary studying at the University of Johannesburg echoes these sentiments: “I come from one of the informal settlements in Tembisa. I would like to sincerely thank you for the financial and non-financial support made possible by all your contributions towards the fund. When I came to varsity, I was close to having nothing at all. I only had one pair of shoes and a few clothes as my parents could not afford to buy me sufficient clothing. Suffering was real in my life and just after completing Grade 12, I had nowhere to run to and my parents had no money to pay for my registration fee. Luckily, Thuthuka came to my rescue and paid for everything. When I arrived at varsity, our coordinators made sure that we settled into the university life before we kick-started with our lectures. This put us (Thuthuka students) one step ahead of everyone else. With the allowance that I have been getting, I have been able to provide my brother, who is at a college, with money for his meals and we are both grateful.”
So what are you waiting for? Visit www.myschool.co.za today and start making a difference.
(And remember, if you, or your company would like to make a larger donation visit Thuthuka’s Pledge Page or contact Thuthuka Business Development Manager, Mbali Mncwabe on MbaliM@saica.co.za or 011 621 6915. Thuthuka will issue you with a Section 18A for your donation so that you can take advantage of the tax benefits too.)
