Dreams do come true – Kwanele Buthelezi
By Miliswa Sitshwele | May 30, 2011
Kwanele Buthelezi is going to university
When the Catholic Institute of Education’s director, Mark Potterton, heard about the plight of KwaZulu-Natal student Kwanele Buthelezi, he took it upon himself to find a way for the young boy to further his education.
Kwanele is a graduate of the highly successful Catholic Institute of Education (CIE) education access programme, which provides support to 2 000 pupils in mainly rural and peri-urban environments across the country.
This bright young man passed his matric with flying colours but was unable to further his education due to lack of funding. Recently his fortunes changed thanks to CIE and the Primedia Foundation which stepped in and offered to pay his university fees.
Nineteen-year-old Kwanele, the second of four children, completed matric last year at St Francis College in Mariannhill, KwaZulu-Natal, where he achieved an average of 70% for nearly all of his subjects. This earned him a Bachelor’s pass, which grants him admission to study for a Bachelor’s degree at any university.
Kwanele lives with his sister, while his grandmother lives in Mpumalanga with his younger brother who is in Grade 11. His parents both died when he was in Grade 8, prompting his grandmother to ask for help from the school as she couldn’t afford his fees.
After matriculating he knew that the chances of furthering his education were slim, but he kept hoping that a Good Samaritan would help him realise his dream of attending university.
“I’m so happy now,” he says. ”With this bursary I will be able to make my dreams come true.”
The principal approached the CIE, which assisted in putting Kwanele through school and boarding school.
Kwanele says the death of his parents affected him deeply because he started missing school and looking for odd jobs so that he could support his family. He is thankful to the CIE for providing a roof over his head and for funding his studies during a time that was really dark for him.
“I used to come to school late or even bunk school. Sometimes I got to school without having eaten or bathed because there was no electricity. I am grateful to the CIE for their help during those years.”
When asked what he intends studying at university, Kwanele says he is keen to pursue property management or architecture. “[Property management] is a career that most people wouldn’t do but I think I would excel in it and there’s a great demand for it.”
His principal, Jabulani Nzama, describes Kwanele as a bright youngster who has a great future ahead of him. “He’s a young man who is dedicated to his studies. He has a great vision for his life and he wants to branch into a career that most people wouldn’t go into. I admire him for that.”
Nzama says he realised early on that Kwanele had great potential. “His marks were always great –
I am very excited for him.”
Potterton says he is thrilled that Kwanele has finally received the help he needs. “He is such a talented young man, I am very happy for him.”
The Catholic Institute of Education is an NGO that delivers support programmes to Catholic schools.
