Standard Bank changes lives and fulfils aspirations for the Limpopo youth

Changing lives and fulfilling aspirations through focused youth development programmes has always been a key objective for Standard Bank in local communities. For thousands of South African students, COVID-19 has turned 2020 into a bleak year of distress as well as isolation and Standard Bank has been proactively identifying ways to help the youth of Limpopo achieve their educational goals and aspirations.

“We intend to improve access to quality education for all and enhance educational outcomes for the youth in Limpopo,” says Bob Malatji, Head: Client Coverage at Standard Bank. “We have over the past ten years provided a sponsorship to fund the Annual Top Student Awards at the University of Limpopo and have recently assisted four primary schools in the province with library facelifts.”

Apart from the sponsorship funding Standard Bank has partnered with Feenix, an online fundraising platform that connects students with their communities to raise funds towards debt-free education. “We originally built the platform in response to the fees crisis in South Africa and on the ethos of providing fair access that is not determined by wealth, to all students without compromising the quality offering of each of the higher education institutions,” says Malatji.

Access to education is another issue facing SA’s youth. Research done by the Department of Basic Education shows that 1.8 million learners are falling through the cracks due to not receiving proper basic education. The pandemic has placed a significant financial strain on household budgets, and this may prevent many from continuing with their studies. Furthermore, the shift to online learning excludes those who cannot afford the necessary study equipment. With this in mind, Standard Bank has assisted four primary schools in Limpopo with library facelifts.

These schools are:

• Thutlane Primary School
• Montsoshaboshego Primary School
• Thobela Primary School
• Sekwari Primary School

“We believe,” adds Malatji, “that children are our responsibility and they too can contribute to the development of our town, our region and the country at large, given the opportunity through quality education. This is why we’ve assisted these schools with library facelifts, a project close to our hearts since 2017.”

The below are more initiatives Standard Bank have been involved in to empower the youth of Limpopo:

Bursary programme

They assist 14 students with bursaries that cover tuition, accommodation, books, stationary, medical aid, pastoral care and other sundries for the duration of their degrees.

The Limpopo Curriculum Support programme

The programme is a Saturday and vacation-schools-education-support intervention, targeting grades 10 to 12 in Mathematics, Physical Science, Accounting and English. The purpose is to create an interest as well as provide additional tuition in critical subjects to improve performance, especially the grade 12 pass rate as well as increase the numbers of learners who can get tertiary education.

“We understand the value of education in building a brighter future for oneself and it is our hope to see many of these students flourish into phenomenal entrepreneurs, professionals and leaders who will positively change the trajectory of South Africa and show South Africans that it can be done,” concludes Malatji.