Good Morning Angels: Blind student, Aviwe, receives R95,000 towards student fees

BACKGROUND:  This soft-spoken young man from deep rural Eastern Cape, has been a student at the University of Pretoria for the past four years. Like many students born in poverty in the far flung, he arrived in Pretoria with very little. His tuition and residence fees were paid by the government's National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NFSAS), for undergraduate tertiary studies, but he had no support from home. 

Aviwe’s mom died from suspected poisoning and at the same time, he started to go blind. He never knew his father and only has a brother.  He was placed in a welfare disability facility and there were no means for treatment of his eye condition - which left him completely blind.  Aviwe always wanted to study law, but missed applications after school. His social worker helped him to get into a degree programme at University of Pretoria. He finished his BSoc Social Sciences degree in the minimum period of 3 years, but he was not done. With some assistance, he finally enrolled for his first year LLB Law at the beginning of 2021 - to fulfil his dream of studying law, even though he has no means of paying for this. NSFAS only pays for one undergraduate course.

That’s why the house heads at TuksVillage, Robyn and Steven Ball, contacted Good Morning Angels, for assistance on Aviwe’s behalf. "He is independent, compassionate, he never asks, and never wants to be a burden. But, this world is better off for having him".  

REQUEST FOR: Aviwe Mado

REQUEST FROM: Robyn Ball 

ANGEL 1: Robyn and Steven Ball, TuksVillage House Parents 

SPONSORING: Robyn and Steven will assist Aviwe with R10 000 towards his outstanding university fees 

ANGEL 2: Dave Arnold, representing AutoX, manufacturer of Willard and Sabat batteries

SPONSORING: The AutoX team will assist Aviwe with R50 000 towards his outstanding university fees 

ANGEL 3: The Good Morning Angels Fund NPC

SPONSORING: The GMA Fund will assist Aviwe with the remaining R35 000 needed to pay-up his 2021 University fees 

ORIGINAL REQUEST:

Good morning Angels

I realise it's late in the year to try my luck. But on the other end of the request is a blind student who never asks for help, so I will ask for him. The reason I will do whatever I can to help him, is because he is one of those genuinely awesome people, who has all the potential to make a real impact in this world, but doesn't have resources to finish his degree, which is not only the platform for him to have hope for a future, but also to really make a difference.

Aviwe lost his eye sight completely after his mother died as a teenager (suspected poisoning). He never had a father and only has a brother who he sadly supports from his small disability grant. He is from deep rural EC. When all the students return home for recess, Christmas, etc. he pays his way at a welfare disability home in the Eastern Cape. 

Aviwe always wanted to study law, but missed applications after school. His social worker helped him to get into a degree programme at University of Pretoria. He finished his BSoc Social Sciences degree in the minimum period of 3 years, which is amazing as some sighted students can't do that. But his heart was set on law. Thanks to key people along the way, he got accepted in the LLB Law programme and is doing well to complete his 1st year. 

Sadly, government fundings as well as all bursaries, don't fund a second degree which makes total sense. We've tried all avenues. Not only is law his dream, it's a platform for him to make an impact in this world and make a future for himself. He wants to do more than push papers in this world. He wants to make a difference.

There's another 3 years of fees ahead of him, but his urgent need is his current outstanding fees of R95-000.00. Without settling this year's fees, he cannot move on to 2nd year law, which would be devastating.

I am willing to put down the first R10-000.00 myself, leaving 8.5 companies, or privates, who could contribute another R10-000.00 in support of Aviwe's journey. 

Aviwe is the first person to wish us as house parents a happy mother's or father's day, before our own children. He is the first person at the door with a gift to wish our two girls a happy birthday. He is independent, compassionate, he never asks, and never wants to be a burden. But this world is better off for having him. And he is the first person who will 'Pay it back' one day. Watch this space! :-)

I desperately hope he will be considered.

Kind regards,  

Steven & Robyn Ball

TuksVillage, Heads of Residence