They say it takes a village to raise a child. At Ruta Sechaba we say it takes a single committed funder to raise the next generation of leaders. In just one example, that commitment comes from Exxaro, a South African-based diversified resources company with operations in the coal mining sector and a growing profile in renewable energy solutions. At the end of 2022, Exxaro awarded ten high school scholarships to learners from across Mpumalanga. The investment, which started at the beginning of the 2023 school year, is the first year of an agreement to support 100 learners in two schools over nine years. Fifty learners will be hosted at Meridian Karino High School, managed by Curro Holdings in Nelspruit. The remainder will be hosted at Northern Academy High School in Polokwane, which will serve learners from Limpopo.
The scholarships secure 100% of the learners’ school fees, boarding fees, uniforms, electronic devices and transport for the duration of their high school careers, from Grade 8. This partnership is a manifestation of how Ruta Sechaba is committed to fostering talent beyond economic limitations, to enable bright underprivileged learners to achieve their full potential.
Thandolwethu Gwebu, one of the scholarship recipients, said: “I am very grateful for this wonderful opportunity that I have been given. It is life-changing and I want to thank everyone who has made this possible. I promise to make the most out of the scholarship and make my family proud.”
Tumi Motlana, Senior Specialist, Community Development at Exxaro, explains why the scholarship investment is so important to the company: “We strive to equip young people with the skills for the future workplace. These scholarships are our way of ensuring that young minds get the best possible high school education and are well prepared to become the leaders of tomorrow.”
The Exxaro partnership with Ruta Sechaba enables us to meet our mission to identify bright underprivileged learners across South Africa, to nurture those individuals by providing high school scholarships, bursaries and awards and to enable them to reach their full potential through quality education.