The post-colonial era has been one characterised by radical changes in society and mind-set. There have been positive shifts in power-relations, personal freedoms and the availability of opportunities that encourage positive youth development.
But when looked back on, a lot of the change has been sluggish, some of it messy, and a fair deal of promises laid out by the era of change have yet to be delivered on. South Africa is one such example of an African transformation that has been both empowering and disappointing.
When one speaks about the ups and downs of the decolonisation of South Africa, one cannot help but to think about the recent turmoil surrounding dissatisfaction with the availability of tertiary education, specifically to low-income students who are denied opportunities that they cannot afford to take.
The Puzzle of Breaking the Cycle
There is no simple solution when it comes to providing these students with the education, training and skills that they sorely need. Their concern is understandable, since they are denied the tools needed to better their lives, but for tertiary education institutes, lowering fees would likely result in the inability to provide educational services of a high quality.
It is a catch 22 for sure, but that doesn’t mean that the problem can’t be solved with ingenuity, community involvement and no small amount of philanthropy.
It seems that the obvious answer is to fund those students who show interest and potential through foundations that are above corruption, nepotism, and many of the other attributes which have made the appropriation of public funds for such solutions all but impossible. However, with the risk and expense involved in investing in somebody’s education; setting up a foundation that can give to the community and empower those who are disadvantaged, as you could imagine, is no small matter.
Yet despite the odds, there are foundations out there who are dedicated to African empowerment and investing in our country’s future:
Tiso Foundation: Empowering Africans through Education
Launched in 2005, the Tiso Foundation has focused on community upliftment by supporting youths from low-income backgrounds in their journey to educate themselves and to acquire the skills that they will use to transform their lives and communities.
Since starting, the fund has funded invested millions into the betterment of education in South Africa, changing well over 42 000 lives, and they continue today to better the state of our country’s education.
The mission behind this foundation is empowerment, sustainability and the socio-economic upliftment of South Africa’s disadvantaged youths. They are investing in the future, student by student.
If you would like to know more about the Tiso Foundation’s upliftment programmes, feel free to contact one of their consultants for answers to inquiries. You can also take a look at their website to find out more about who they are, and what they do.