Thumbs up to TRAC (Trans African Concessions) for handing over four bursaries to grade eight learners from Imemeza High School in Waterval Boven and Sikhulile Secondary School in Machadodorp. For the next five years, the top two learners from grades eight to matric will stand in line to receive future bursaries based on academic performance.
“The idea behind the bursaries,” says Adri Fourie, CSI and HR manager at TRAC, “is to encourage the learners at the beginning of their high-school career to excel through to Grade 12. By rewarding them, we hope to encourage them to strive for excellence in education.”
According to Fourie, the bursaries will be awarded to the top student of that year, each year until that class matriculates. It is not guaranteed that the same learner will get the bursary each year. They have to prove that they are willing to dedicate themselves to studying hard.
“We hope that by providing financial relief to the parents and the schools, these learners will be able to concentrate on their education, thereby helping to improve the pass rate,” says Fourie.
The initiative was applauded by both the mayor of Machadodorp and Mr Mkhonto; manager, parliamentary and media liaison, Mpumalanga.
“Often we get big corporates coming in and making promises but when it comes to implementing the programme, we find many of them do not honour their promises. It is a good thing to see TRAC is behind our children and their future,” said Mkhonto.
In addressing the students, Graham Esterhuysen, CEO of TRAC said: “You have a gift for learning but the want to learn comes from yourself. That is not a gift; it is a choice you make for yourself. You have chosen to study hard, maybe sometimes in an environment which is not always conducive to learning, but you’ve excelled. We would like to see you take this opportunity to become somebody great in our society.”
This long-term investment in the community hopes to see healthy competition within the grades for the annual allocation of bursaries, which in turn should improve the overall academic achievement in the two schools over the next five years.
