| Inside the high
walls of the beautiful campus of the University of Witswatersrand
in the heart of Johannesburg, South Africa, the scene is much
the same as at any campus the world over: groups of students
rushing around purposefully, some chatting animatedly, others
sitting quietly under a tree, reading a book. We meet up with
four of them, all recipients of a special scholarship awarded
by the Tata Group and are impressed with their cheery outlook
on life and the determination to succeed.
The eldest of nine siblings, Thandi Dladla, 23, grew up
in the crime-infested and poverty-stricken town of Alexandra,
near Johannesburg. With an iron will, Dladla finished school
and went on to study further at Johannesburg. Today, she
is a role model for her seven brothers and one sister. Babyi
Olivia, 26, from a similar background in Rustenberg, also
struggled to get to Johannesburg, aspiring for a better
future for her sisters and mother, through further studies.
For Olivia and Dladla and eight other students of Witswatersrand
University, dreams are on their way to becoming reality,
thanks to scholarships awarded by Tata Africa Holdings,
under the Tata Scholarships Programme. Today, Olivia has
completed her masters in nursing and is ready to work in
the government department of health. And Dladla has completed
a course in industrial psychology and is doing an internship
at MultiChoice, a company which operates the satellite television
service. The Tata scholarship covered their university fees,
hostel / accommodation expenses and expenditure on books
and research work. This was a huge relief because the university
financial aid covered only the course fees and they had
to supplement their income by working part time, leaving
little time and energy for studies.
“The Tata scholarship was an enormous help,”
acknowledges Eliphas Nolou, “I could buy books and
a computer with the money. Since the computer labs are always
full, having my own computer really helped me to keep up
with my work and not fall behind the class.” Nolou,
31, is a student of economic science who hopes to make a
career in investment banking. After getting the scholarship,
he was able to give up his part-time job as a security guard
and concentrate on his studies.
Evans Netshivhanbe, 24, is equally grateful for the scholarship.
He says he didn’t know where the money would come from
when he applied for a course in digital arts at the university.
Receiving the scholarship, he says, was a huge relief: “I
wasn’t stressed anymore. I didn’t need to work
and could focus on my studies.” He is in the process
of completing his research papers and all ready to venture
into web designing.
These ten students took the first step forward and the
Tata Scholarships Programme gave them the boost they needed
to reach their goal. The Tata Scholarships Programme aims
at disadvantaged students who have proven their potential
to excel in their respective disciplines. The selection
of scholars is done by the university on the basis of criteria
set down by the company.
To give back to society has been the Tata way of doing
business and the institution of these scholarships marks
the initial steps in the Group’s corporate social responsibility
programme in South Africa. The Group is committed to the
cause of higher education and development of skills in diverse
areas. In its second year, the scholarship programme will
be extended to more students and universities.
A small step in the area of higher education, the scholarship
programme is really a giant leap in terms of the number
of lives it has changed. It has also set off a multiplier
effect, with these 10 students pledging to spread the good
work further. They have promised to return to their school
and hometown and educate people on the benefits of education
and the opportunities and alternatives available. The Tata
spirit of social commitment has rubbed off on them and,
in their own small ways, they are all giving back to their
community.
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