BY : REFILWE MEREYOTLHE
On 26th March 2018, 17 Year old Keneuoe Mabathoana from Mapetla, Soweto got to experience a graduation ceremony and a taste of what it will feel like once she gets to University and complete her Bcom Accounting.
Mabathoana is a grade 12 learner with commercial subjects at Seanamarena High School in Mapetla Soweto (kasi). She has a dream that one day she will become a Chartered Accountant; she admits that fees to finance her studies may pose a challenge to furthering her studies. But at least for now she got to spend one day at Wits University graduation ceremony to experience the feeling of being at University and actually graduating.
This experience was made possible by The Mentees Ark (TMA) where Keneuoe takes her tutoring classes for Mathematics. TMA is a mentorship and a tutoring non-profit Company based and operating from Mapetla in Soweto. Their aim is to eradicate poverty through education in disadvantaged communities; and also to show young people opportunities beyond their current reality. Therefore TMA partnered with Miss. Suzan Moloisane who was graduating in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) to take Keneuoe to a graduation ceremony in order to expose her to another possibility and opportunity that awaits her post-matric.
MBA graduate Suzan Moloisane(left) and grade 12 Keneuoe Mabathoana (right) at Wits University. Photo by: TMA
Suzan donated a graduation ticket to Keneuoe to attend the ceremony. TMA gave Suzan a T-Shirt written ‘Take a kasi Child to graduation’ to appreciate her for taking Keneuoe to the ceremony; they both wore similar T-shirts on the day. TMA presented the Suzan with a sketched portrait of her graduation photo. “I was extremely excited because I wanted to see how a graduation ceremony looks like” said Keneuoe.
TMA together with Maza Media Hive has helped sponsor Keneuoe’s previous educational trips to places such as Sci-Bono Discovery Centre and Planetarium. Ntombikayise Bhengu, one of the Maths Tutors at TMA says she believes their ‘Take a kasi Child to graduation’ initiative and experience will impact many Township learners and inspire them to work hard in achieving amazing grades.
Keneuoe says her skills in Mathematics have improved thanks to the tutoring classes provided by TMA.