After losing her parents, Kayla needs help to finish her degree
The Willard Batteries Bursary Fund will assist Kayla with R70,000 towards her 2024 third-year studies at NWU.
Kayla Slabbert is a fighter. She finished her second year BA in Behavioural Science and Psychology at North-West University on her own steam, as she has to fend for herself.
Kayla's mom passed away when she was in Grade 9 after a long battle with cancer. Six months later, very unexpectedly, her dad also passed away, which made Kayla an orphan by the age of 16.
Her uncle, who was her guardian, then passed away, just as she finished her matric in Ermelo and started her studies in Potchefstroom.
Despite all of the loss and hardship, Kayla used her small inheritance to finish school and go the university. These funds ran out and Kayla applied for state funding. After granting her a R20,000 bursary, she received a letter that she had to pay it back! In the meantime, she does online tutoring in the early hours of the morning to earn an income to look after herself and pay all the bills.
The mom of one of Kayla’s friends, Shantelle Meyer, wrote to Good Morning Angels to ask for assistance for Kayla, to enable her to finish her studies so she can prosper as an independent, young woman.
REQUEST FOR: Kayla Slabbert
REQUEST FROM: Shantelle Meyer
ANGEL: Corné Strydom representing Willard Batteries
SPONSORING: The Willard Batteries Bursary Fund will assist Kayla with R70,000 towards her 2024 3rd-year studies at NWU.
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
Dear Good Morning Angels, I hope this email finds you well.
I am writing to ask for your support in helping a student who lost her mother when she was in Grade 9 and then her father passed away when she was in Grade 10. Her name is Kayla Slabbert - she was in Ermelo High School with my daughter. She inherited some money which helped her finish high school and complete her first and second year at NWU, where she is currently studying Clinical and Counselling Psychology. Her uncle, who became her guardian after her parents passed away, also passed away just as she was beginning her University studies. Despite all this trauma, Kayla was able to pass her first year and second year.
Kayla applied to NFSAS for financial assistance to finish her degree. They told her she was approved, and in July 2023, they deposited R20 000.00 into her account, which she used to pay for her studies. A few weeks later, she received a letter from NFSAS stating that her application was rejected and she needed to pay back the money!
Despite all the obstacles that Kayla has had to face and, in a sense, had to grow up a lot quicker than most teenagers, she has immense potential and has shown us and her friends that she won’t lie down or give up.
Unfortunately, the financial burden of university tuition and the basic day-to-day expenses is proving to be an insurmountable obstacle for her. It is her dream to keep attending university and to build a better future for herself and we firmly believe that with the right support, Kayla can make a significant impact in her career one day.
Kayla has become a huge part of our lives, especially my daughter, who is also studying at NWU. If there is any way that Good Morning Angels can help her, either in the form of a bursary or sponsorship, this would be amazing. Perhaps there is a medical association that will be prepared to help her with her studies for the duration and then she can work it back. It breaks my heart that she has already had to walk such a thorny path, and now the thought that her future is so unsure.
Your contribution can make a profound difference in her life and provide her with the opportunity to realise her dreams. Your generosity would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for considering this request.
I really look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
With gratitude
Shantelle Meyer
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