A local teacher, a past beneficiary of the Mitchell’s Plain Role Model and Bursary Trust, is calling on former Mitchell’s Plain pupils to invest in the bursary trust, which was established in 2011.
Courtney Edwards, from Tafelsig, teaches at Cedar High School of the Arts in Rocklands where he matriculated, and is a member of the Progressive Principals’ Association.
Due to his affiliations and continued involvement with pupils in Mitchell’s Plain, Mr Edwards was invited to meet President Cyril Ramaphosa after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate during a sitting of the two houses of Parliament on Thursday February 14.
During his pupil days he was a member of the Representative Council of Learners (RCL) at Cedar High School, and chairperson of the student steering committee for the trust.
The trust was an initiative by
the Mitchell’s Plain Education Forum and is the brain-child of former cabinet minister Trevor Manuel who was also an ANC member of Parliament for Mitchell’s Plain for many years.
Mr Edwards told the Plainsman he reminded President Ramaphosa about the National Development Plan (NDP) youth dialogue in 2012. The plan aimed to ensure that all South Africans attain a decent standard of living through the elimination of poverty and reduction of inequality by 2030.
“I thanked him for his hard work,” said Mr Edwards.
He called on former Mitchell’s Plain pupils to get in touch with the bursary trust again, and to give back to their community.
The trust assists students with the registration and or tuition fees for studies at tertiary institutions such as Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, University of the Western Cape and Further Education and Training (FET) colleges.
Last year Mr Manuel addressed about 60 recipients of financial aid from the trust at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, urging them to “grab opportunities with both hands” as they navigate the world outside school (“‘Jump at your chances’”, Plainsman, October 24 2018).
Mr Manuel reminded the group that, in addition to providing financial assistance to deserving students, the trust aims to equip them with “life skills they would be able carry forward” in a very challenging and competitive world.
He also said the obstacles to success were not insurmountable and there many examples of successful professionals who grew up in Mitchell’s Plain and were now role models for the next generation.
For more information about the Mitchell’s Plain Role Model and Bursary Trust, visit http://mpbursarytrust.org.za or call Nicole Japhta on 081 251 8032.