The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has strengthened its commitment to community engagement through its involvement in the latest Fundikhono Community Projects (FCP) initiative.

The project provided learners at Fundokuhle High School in the uMsinga Local Municipality with career guidance and practical information about accessing Higher Education.

The Higher Education Access and Career Guidance Programme formed part of FCP’s Education Initiative, which seeks to improve access to Higher Education for learners in communities where career guidance, application support and information about post-school opportunities may be limited. The programme brought together Fundikhono Community Projects, university academics, community partners and students who are members of Fundikhono CP Student Cub and Society.

“The main purpose of the visit was to provide learners with career guidance, motivation and practical information about opportunities after completing Grade 12,” said FCP Chairperson and Co-founder Mr Sandile Zulu of UKZN’s School of Agriculture and Science’s Genetics and Microbiology programme.

Learners were introduced to different career pathways and opportunities within Higher Education, including university and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College options. The programme also covered the Central Applications Office (CAO) and university application processes, National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding, programme and career selection, and the importance of preparing the required documentation.

“Where possible, we aim to continue supporting learners beyond the initial engagement by assisting with applications, admission-related queries and registration processes,” said Zulu, who stressed that continued support was important in helping learners navigate what can be a complex process.

The programme also encouraged interaction between learners and university students and graduates, enabling school pupils to hear first-hand about the Higher Education journey and gain insight and motivation from those who had already taken that path.

UKZN’s involvement was supported by Dr Seipati Mokhosi of the School of Agriculture and Science’s Discipline of Biochemistry, who highlighted the importance of providing matriculants with information to help them better decisions about their futures.

The awards were formally supported and endorsed by representatives of the collaborating institutions, with Mokhosi representing UKZN and Dr Lucky Nkomo serving as Senior Advisor to Fundikhono Community Projects.

The awards initiative is an indication of the partners’ commitment to encouraging learners not only to achieve strong academic results, but also to recognise perseverance, improvement and continued effort across different subjects.

In recognition of learners’ efforts and achievements, the programme also included an incentive component which saw awards presented to learners who performed particularly well across various subjects as well as to learners who demonstrated significant improvement in their academic performance. The awards were supported by Fundikhono Community Projects with assistance from the Nomonde Mweli Legacy foundation and UKZN, recognising both academic excellence and meaningful academic progress.

The initiative also received academic support from Nkomo, senior lecturer in the School of Geography and Environmental Management on UKZN’s Howard College campus, who contributed to the programme’s focus on career development, environmental awareness and Higher Education opportunities.

The initiative was also made possible through the recently awarded College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science (CAES) Incentive Grant for Ongoing Research-led Community Engagement Projects.

UKZN further supported the outreach by making promotional goodie bags available for the school engagement.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to engage with the learners and contribute towards creating greater awareness of Higher Education opportunities,” said Zulu. “We look forward to continuing this work through future school engagements and partnerships that can extend the programme to more learners and communities.”

Words: Sally Frost

Photograph: Supplied