In a commendable effort to address social issues and uplift the standard of living in the Barolong Boo Mariba communities, the School of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities at the North-West University (NWU) has partnered with the Tswelelopele Empowerment Foundation.
This collaboration is focused on engaging with seven local communities through educational empowerment initiatives, with a particular emphasis on supporting learners in their journey towards higher education.
On 2 August 2024 both organisations held a simultaneous event across multiple schools, highlighting their commitment to these communities. Since 2021, the NWU and Tswelelopele have been hosting annual career exhibitions, inviting various stakeholders to share crucial information with Grade 11 and Grade 12 learners from Mothibinyane High School, Mothusi Marumuloa Secondary School, Kagiso Barolong Secondary School, and Ntshidi High School. However, an informal monitoring and evaluation process revealed that, between 2021 and 2024, fewer than 30 learners from these schools had registered at the NWU.
Several factors contribute to this low enrolment, including lack of admission to bachelor’s-degree programmes, delayed applications, missed opportunities to attend NWU open days, and the university's capacity constraints. In the light of these challenges, the organisations decided to revise their strategy. Instead of hosting the usual career exhibition this year, they opted to visit the schools directly, offering hands-on assistance with the application process under the campaign named #WeAreHereToHelp.
The initiative targeted Grade 12 learners and those who had already matriculated in the seven villages. "Living in a remote, disadvantaged community is sometimes a challenge for learners, and getting any form of educational empowerment means a lot to them. It is for this reason that we help where we can," says Amantle Mothelesi, one of the key coordinators of the project.
Despite the positiveness of the initiative, the challenges remain significant. Some learners lack the necessary identity documents required for university applications – a problem rooted in a lack of parental support. In response, Tswelelopele Empowerment Foundation members are exploring ways to assist these students.
While recognising that not all learners will make it to university, stakeholders remain hopeful that this new strategy will yield positive results, providing much-needed support to those who aspire to further their education.
Initiative aims to overcome challenges in access to higher education
