Student sets example

Recipient of NSFAS funding at Rhodes donates money to help others

DETERMINED to make a difference, a Rhodes University student and National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) recipient has pledged to donate R100 a month to help someone else make a success of their studies. Naseem Khan, 18, originally from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, applied for NSFAS funding last year while applying to study at Rhodes. “I applied for it when I first applied . . . and thereafter filled in the forms when it was available,” he said, adding that it was the first time he had applied for NSFAS funding. Khan is in his first year at university and is studying pharmacy. With strong praise for his mother, Khan said they had spent countless late nights filling in forms for the various bursary applications. According to Khan, his family, including his four siblings, had been in financial difficulty for a long time. “We did not leave any stone unturned in order to ensure that we would somehow get sufficient funding,” he said. Outlining the various ups and downs in securing funding, Khan said he had decided to give back in the best way possible. He has pledged to donate R100 every month to help a fellow student. He will also be donating a few toiletries. Although Khan is not donating the funds or making other contributions to a specific student, he said he was initially touched by what a fellow student had posted on the Rhodes Confessions Facebook page. “[A] student posted an anonymous confession describing their position and how they’re currently living.

“That was my turning point. I was filled with empathy and concern for that confessor and it made me want to actively help rather than just sympathise,” Khan said, adding that his decision was further influenced by his upbringing. “My family always helped those that they could within their means, something that I’m truly proud of.” Khan said that his pledge was further spurred on by an e-mail appeal for donations and other support sent out by Rhodes vice-chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela earlier this year. The money will be collected and distributed by the university. Khan said: “I’m aware there are many students who are struggling financially. Despite being one of them, I know there are students that are in a tighter situation than I am.” Who the money and other donations go to is not a concern for Khan, who said he was just happy to help. Mabizela said he was aware of Khan’s pledge and was “deeply touched and moved by such an act of generosity by one of our students. “It is this culture of giving freely and generously without any expectation of reward or recognition that we try hard to instil in our students,” he said. “Naseem is an example of the big hearts that our students and staff have as we work together to affirm and recognise our common humanness. “I am truly grateful to each and every one who has responded to our appeal to support our students in need.”