Partnership: Kagiso Trust and University of Johannesburg Education Conversation

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A Word From Corporate Affairs Nontando Mthethwa

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As we approach the second quarter of the year, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a prosperous year ahead that is filled with exciting ventures as well as a bright future for you and your organisations.

As 2012 sets in, Kagiso Trust (KT) continues to broker and encourage support for South Africa’s public

education system as education is key to the development and sustainability of South Africa’s economy.

As an organisation we hold a strong view that if we want to address inequality, past injustices, as well as build the economy of this country, then we have no option but to ensure that every South African child is provided with an opportunity to access quality education.

Kagiso Trust would therefore like to introduce to you, the Bold Step Campaign which is an initiative aimed at encouraging the nation to take a bold step and get actively involved in changing the face of education in South Africa. Kagiso Trust’s bursary programme made a sizeable impact on higher education in South Africa, having funded more than 25,000 students.

Kagiso Trust further contributed R16 million towards the establishment of the Tertiary Education Fund of South Africa (TEFSA), today known as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). The campaign therefore seeks to inspire charitable giving by (but not limited to) those who benefited from the bursary programme, in helping to progress the work of the Trust, namely the expansion of the Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme, as well as develop a community that pays tribute to the organization’s history and mission.

I would therefore like to encourage you to be on the look-out during the month ahead for communication from KT with regards to further details on how you can get involved.

Kagiso Trust is also very proud to announce a partnership with the University of Johannesburg on ‘Education Conversations.’ The Education Conversations are aimed at encouraging our nation to talk, as well as to create a space for on- going debate and discussion through which diverse voices can be heard. The conversations will focus on what works and how we can, collectively, advance the agenda for an improved public education system.

The discussions will focus on collectively advancing South Africa’s public education system by suggesting solutions to its challenges. The KT-UJ partnership launched the ‘Education Conversations’ series on the 11th April 2012. Details of the next event will be in the next In-Brief newsletter, our website, and on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

With that said, Kagiso Trust looks forward to your continued support in 2012 and we hope that our programmes and partnerships will grow and reach greater heights.

Editor’s Note

The Right People Key to Improving Schools

Says Kagiso Trust

In the Free State where South Africa’s

‐Kaelo Engage

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Key factors for Mohaladitwe’s success:

“We have seen a 13% increase in performance, from 60% in 2010 to73% in Grade 12 results in our project schools in the Free State in 2011,” says Kgotso Schoeman CEO of Kagiso Trust.

“The hard work of our programme managers and teams has paid off but there is still more work that needs to be done. This is a testament to us that to get education right in South Africa, learners, parents, teachers, principals, district and provincial education structures have to take responsibility for the part they have to play in the process. Mohaladitwe is a real life example of this.”

Kagiso Trust’s Beyers Naude Schools Development Programme has been running since 2006 and is active in 2 of South Africa’s provinces, that is the Free State and Kwa-Zulu Natal, and in more than 170 schools. The programme holds fast that there are no quick fixes to South Africa’s education crisis and that buy in from all parties involved in a school is key, from district municipalities to the parents of learners.

“The true test for Mohaladitwe will be in 2012 when they will no longer be called a non-performing school and will have to succeed with less district support. What we would like to see is districts being actively involved in all schools, not only the non-performing ones. It is only then that each school will be able to get into the rhythm of things and develop a real culture of learning,” concludes Mola.

Meet Mrs. Mokhatla who entered Mohaladitwe Secondary School in January of 2010 as the school management and governance officer after

the school was defined as a non-performing school needing strong leadership and follow up. Fresh from her job as a principal, Mokhatla was enthusiastic about her new role. However, on entering the school, she was shocked by what she saw, “Morale was low, and learners, educators and parents were not cooperating,” says Mokhatla. First and foremost Mokhatla set about getting the right people in place, “Key to transforming any school is human resources,” explains Mokhlatla. “We had to be quite ruthless in our approach; educators who were not performing had to be performance managed and if necessary, removed.”

Collaboration and building team work are also fundamental to the Kagiso Trust Beyers Naude Schools Development Programme. As part of the programme, the entire school’s management team, from the governing body to the educators, is invited on a weekend retreat to workshop school issues and build teamwork. “2011’s retreat was an outright success and went a long way to building relationships and a common vision for the school’s success among various school bodies,” says Mokhlatla. Add to the mix Mokhlatla’s sheer determination and there was a recipe for success at Mohaladitwe Secondary School.It was an enormous challenge which required 110% commitment, and at one stage Mokhalta says she was practically living at the school. But her hard work paid off when the Grade 12 results were released.

Strong working relationship and involvement of the district

Strong and passionate leadership within the school

The retreat which saw all arms of leadership of the school come together and developstrong relationships and a common vision for the school

On-site support offered through curriculum trainers by Kagiso Trust meant teachers and learners had qualified people to guide learning

Examiners were brought into the school to assist learners and show them what examiners look for in candidate responses

Learner support programme ensured that there were tutorials, extra classes and holidaystudy programmes for all learners

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Kagiso Trust SAfmInterview

Is Education a Right or a Privilege?

with CEO Kgotso Schoeman

Recently, Kagiso Trust’s CEO, Kgotso Schoeman, was interviewed by Masechaba

Moshweshwe on SAfm on the topic: Is education a Right or a Privilege?

Masechaba (MM): In your view is education a right or a privilege, especially taking into account that those who can afford to send their children to the most expensive schools that are better resourced, and those that cannot afford have to make do with what is available in terms of public schools in the poorest areas that are not as well-resourced?

KT: Masechaba, we have a view, as Kagiso Trust, that education has to become a right if we are to address issues of inequality, particularly if we have to deal with issues of redress pertaining to issues of past injustices.

Unless you make public education function, then you’re denying the majority of children in this country access to good quality education.

Estimate that we probably have about 11 million children who attend school in this country, and of those children, we probably have less than 700 000 children who attend private schools and former model C schools.

So, we’ve got over 10 million children that are in the public education system. Unless we make public education function, I think we, as a country, have a problem. Unless we all see education in that light, I don’t think this country will prioritise issues of redress because it is only through education that we could systematically deal with issues of redress.

MM:Taking into account that over a decade into our democracy from a freedom charter that says that education for all, can we get it right considering that we’re still facing the very same challenges that we spoke about at the beginning of our democracy?

KT: I think we can, Masechaba. We’ve always engaged in education through a pathological mindset, where we deal with discussions around what makes education not work, and I don’t think we’ve really put a lot of energy in discussing how we can make it work.

We took a conscious decision to work in rural areas. We work with schools which, before they got into our programme, were performing below 30%, and now those schools perform above 80%. Our view is that you can make education work and you can facilitate good quality education for children in rural areas.

MM: What is Kagiso Trust doing that is working so well that other organisations and even government to a certain extent can learn from?

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KT: We have a methodology that we’ve designed and tested over the past 7 years. We commit between 3 to 5 years in schools. It is a methodology that is driven around a few fundamental principles. It has really given us good lessons. One of the key principles of the methodology is that we will not get involved in education in any province if we don’t do it in real partnership with government. In each province our simple condition is that for every rand we put in, government must put in a rand. We strongly believe that you can’t systematically change education as an NGO unless you work in partnership with government. We also strongly believe that you don’t impose an education intervention in schools, but rather, you make people voluntarily want to participate in the programme.

When we start our pilot, we first ask government to choose a district which is dysfunctional, and to select 15 schools from it. We put those schools individually in front of a panel and let them know that we’ll be implementing a programme. They have to motivate why their schools should be chosen. From there, we would then select 10 schools to be part of our programme.

The third methodology is that from all our new schools, we take all the teachers and parent representatives to a retreat, where we ask pertinent questions. Principals have to account for why school grades are below par, and they must motivate why they must keep their positions. Those are the type of conversations we get involved in; we get teachers to take full responsibility. We don’t believe that the Minister of Education or the MEC of Education can make your school perform, because we believe principals, parents, teachers and learners can achieve that.

MM: One of the main arguments put forward when talking about holding educators accountable is that they know they cannot be demoted or removed because they have a strong union that will plead their case and talk for them, regardless of whether they are performing or not. What is the response from teachers when you ask them why they should not be replaced?

KT: What we’ve said to teachers is that we don’t want to get involved with unions. We just want to get to the bottom of why schools are under-performing, and that everyone takes responsibility. We were quite conscious about union involvement. In the Free State, we are implementing our programme in 170 schools in partnership with the Free State government, where will be spending over R880 million in the next five years.

There is a school that had an operation called Moema, where they decided not to talk to one another, nor to provincial officials, district officials and the principal. Before we got involved, the school was performing below a 40-50% average and lawyers were even sent to that school to determine the problem. We then implemented our programme. You would be amazed what the teachers achieved once they were able to take accountability and saw where they were going wrong. The school is now performing at a 75% average.

We are amazed by the improvement in performance of schools that people believed we would not be able to turn around. Teachers took full responsibility and made things work. To us, that proved that we can facilitate good quality education in this country.

MM: I want to talk about the importance of this five year cycle that Kagiso Trust focuses on, or that forms the core of the intervention and also the role of the private sector in the role of education. When speaking to educators in the retreats, do they mention remuneration and the role it plays in them doing their jobs?

KT: They do, but once again, we do not want to get involved in that. You were asking about the 5 year cycle. The first year is where the schools go through the selection process, then it is the retreat, and we then introduce the curriculum and get into an agreement with the schools upfront that their performance can’t be below 75%. Our programme is very good at rewarding performance. We reward schools with new infrastructure when they reach the 75% pass rate target. We also reward outstanding teachers. It really changes the essence that unless we begin to communicate how much we value teachers, I don’t think we can get things right.

MM: So it’s about improving the quality of the working environment and also their lives at home?

KT: A lot of people have wanted to know why we make infrastructure a reward, rather than giving it to them upfront? We don’t believe that infrastructure should be made a basis for performance. How do you explain how a school with all the resources under-performs, while one that lacks, performs well. I’m not saying that the schools do not deserve it; we want them to prove to us that they can give us the 75% pass rate, and we will give their schools the full package that will lead them to 100%.

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MM: Where is the private sector in all of this?

KT: A couple of years ago we were in partnership with some private sector partners, particularly in the banking sector such as the banks, the Absa Foundation and Remgro Ltd. We are hoping to go beyond our bits and pieces of intervention and embark on true partnerships.

MM: How are the parents getting involved? What role do the parents play in all of this?

KT: Their concerns are that teachers are not taking responsibility. For example, at one of the schools where parents were concerned by the late-coming of teachers, decided to close the gates, restricting late teachers from entering the premises.

I believe that we should give the community space to get involved. Another example is where we rewarded one of the schools with computers. Within two weeks, the computers had been stolen.

We then held a meeting with the teachers and community to find out what had happened. Everyone started pointing fingers. We then gave them an ultimatum that within two months the computers had to be returned. The two months passed and the computers weren’t returned.

We then asked the police to escort us to make an arrest and what happened is that the community then said they would raise money to employ a full-time security guard for the school.

So, it is about creating the space for communities to get involved. Let’s hold the community accountable for not coming to the party.

Those are the lessons we’ve learnt from implementing the programme. Yes, we get a lot of criticism from people that we are punishing the children, but we are not punishing them. We want communities to take responsibility for their schools.

MM: What happens when NGOs such as the Kagiso Trust are not around anymore to challenge government, because what you are doing now is challenging government and asking them to come to the table. What happens when these organisations are not around?

KT: That is the reason why we work with government. We strongly believe that our intervention has to become systematic. If you can’t influence the system on how you do things, this question becomes extremely relevant. In our current programme in the Free State, we work with the provincial government, the district and the schools.

We have been very conscious that we must transfer our methodology because we are quite clear that we are a support structure.

The people that can sustain this intervention into perpetuity are the district officials. For example, we held a retreat for the district, and the district officers complained that they weren’t receiving resources.

KT: That is the reason why we work with government. We strongly believe that our intervention has to become systematic.

If you can’t influence the system on how you do things, this question becomes extremely relevant. In our current programme in the Free State, we work with the provincial government, the district and the schools.

We have been very conscious that we must transfer our methodology because we are quite clear that we are a support structure.

The people that can sustain this intervention into perpetuity are the district officials. For example, we held a retreat for the district, and the district officers complained that they weren’t receiving resources.

The education MEC was there to hear what they said and asked why they do not have photocopiers. Two days later, these were delivered.

For us it is very clear that you can’t implement an education programme without the province, the district and the schools because you need to be able to influence how education is managed and delivered.

That is why we say that our programme is about system change; it is about influencing the MEC of the province. This is why this question is important because we will exit, and as we exit, we should be thinking about methodology and processes in the provincial and district offices.

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Funding Boosts Farmer

Article published in �e New Age on 10 April 2012 Written by Sithandiwe Velaphi

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Award-winning Mthatha farmer Fezeka Mkile says funding from the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) helped create jobs in Mthatha.

Mkile said the funding opened doors for the Mthatha Airport Agricultural Services (MAAS). Mkile, the project manager, said the R1.6m from ECDC helped secure further funding from the European Union’s local economic development arm, Thina Sinako.

MAAS comprises the Ncise Community Trust, NSM, Networking Services and individual shareholders who have invested in the development.

The project has created 21 jobs since March 2010, with 18 employees from the local community. An additional 30 people were employed during the 18-month construction phase.

MAAS is partnering with Kagiso Enterprise Rural Private Equity Fund to ensure communities benefit from development projects.

With accolades to her name, Mkile won a social innovation award in the South African Breweries (SAB) entrepreneurship awards in October 2011.

Recently, the provincial department of rural development and agrarian reform awarded her with a R30 000 cheque after she became the first runner-up female entrepreneur in the Eastern Cape. The department also gave MAAS R1.6m worth of equipment and implements in support of its Phase two development.

“We would not have been able to enter these competitions without the funding from ECDC. It helped us get the equipment we needed to get the business started,” she said.

The business was in line to receive 70% of its total budget requirement of R6.7m from Thina Sinako, subject to the entrepreneurs’ contribution of 30% towards the capital requirement, of which 6% had to be strictly cash.

ECDC project development coordinator Bowell Solwandle said the R1.6m funding was for two greenhouses, a boardroom, two offices, a shed with a cold room and a 65 kilolitre reservoir.

GROWTH: Access to 59ha of land at Mthatha Airport land has enabled the Ncise community to establish Mthatha Airport Agricultural Services.

MAAS is partnering with Kagiso Enterprise Rural Private Equity Fund to ensure communities benefit from development projects

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Rural Boy Sets Sights on Bright Futurein EngineeringTumelo Lengoabala is the first person in his family to pass matric. Having lost his mother when he was just 14 years old, Tumelo is determined to succeed in her memory by going to university and becoming an engineer. In his hometown of Phamong Village near Qwa-Qwa where unemployment is at 48%, Tumelo is already a shining star.

With only his grandmother’s pension and his aunt’s domestic worker salary

to sustain the family of six, Tumelo did not know how he would pay for his studies. However, through the Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme, provided by Kagiso Trust, Tumelo is on his way to making his dream a reality.

Tumelo was selected out of hundreds of pupils from his high school to attend university through the scholarship fund. Thlorong Secondary School is part of the Kagiso Trust’s Beyers Naude Schools Development Programme (BNSDP) which seeks to intervene in rural schools by targeting teachers, learners, parents as well as district and provincial education structures to change the culture of learning in schools.

Learners who perform well from the BNSDP schools are offered Eric Molobi bursaries to further their studies.

“As Kagiso Trust, we understand that to ensure we develop true success stories and change entire families, we need to support disadvantaged learners not only through high school but all the way through to tertiary education and beyond”, says Kgotso Schoeman, CEO of Kagiso Trust.

Not only is Tumelo an avid scientist, but he is also a budding social developer with a passion for the youth of his community. In 2009, at just 16 years old, Tumelo launched a public speaking project within his rural community that focussed on different topics affecting the youth of the community.

“The project has really grown over the past two years, better than I ever hoped. It has become a way to keep young people off the streets and also gives them a voice, a platform to be heard, which we don’t often get,” says Tumelo.

Tumelo began his studies in electrical engineering at the University of Johannesburg in February, and is excited but nervous for this new chapter of his life. “I am nervous about being away from home, especially in such a big city that seems so foreign to me right now. However, I’m also very excited about my course and the fact that I’m on my way to a successful life. I know how lucky I am. I not only have the opportunity to make my grandmother very proud, but I also have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on South Africa’s economy.

I can’t wait,” says Tumelo. The Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme sponsors talented but disadvantaged learners to complete a tertiary education degree or diploma,

EMSP

primarily in the Engineering and BCom sectors.

Since its inception in 2007, the Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme has provided financial support for education for over fifty learners who are academically strong and show leadership potential, yet lack the resources to study further.

The EMSP was set up with the vision of creating a viable, vibrant network of young leaders in the business and science sectors. Schoeman says, “Now in its fifth year of operation, we are beginning to see Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme awardees finish their tertiary education with a qualification in hand, ready to enter the working world.

It’s exciting to witness many of our scholarship awardees not only excelling in their studies, but becoming inspiring mentors themselves, motivating learners from their previous secondary schools back home.

Our goal is for the programme to grow and develop bright young South Africans into promising businessmen and women who then go on to have a positive impact on their communities and the economy.”

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The Kagiso Trust ‐ University of Johannesburg partnership launched the ‘Education Conversation’ series on the 11th April 2012. The Education Conversations are aimed at encouraging our nation to talk, as well as to create a space for on‐going debate and discussion through which diverse voices can be heard. The conversations will focus on what works and how we can, collectively, advance the agenda for an improved public education system. Details of the next event will be in the next In‐Brief newsletter, our website, and on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The article on the event was published on this past Sunday’s City Press, and the broadcast will be on SABC1, on the programme ‘SABC Live’ on Sunday 22 April 2012 at 18h30

@Adero_Edu #EducationConversations was really stimulating. A fantastic experience - thanks for arranging it! Can’t wait for the next one.

@jacqui_batch DBE: Let’s stop wallowing in the problems our education system face and put forward proposals to shift the debate.

@Adero_Edu Upload classes being taught by top teachers onhttp://www.youtube.com/education to share scholastic success & ideas

@gilliangodsell 2 main silences in NPC draft plan: how to get teachers in classrooms covering curriculum; how to improve allocation

@Adero_Edu Start by publicizing & rewarding excellence. More good news stories needed about top teachers.

@teachingbiz #EducationConversations needs to conduct Ofsted style inspections of teacher and learner files will solve the former!

@mys_Tree Is it possible to live on R418 a month? RT @kagisomsimango: The poverty line in SA is calculated at R418pm

@Adero_Edu It’s everyone’s responsibility to implement and monitor the NPC plan. Final NPC plan must explain how we all can contribute to its success

Tweets from #EducationConversations

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From left: Dr Linda Chisholm (Advisor to Minister of Basic Education), Dean Zwo Nevhutalu (KT Chairman), Prof Ihron Rensburg - Vice-Chancellor (UJ)

Mothering Education

MariaMokae

To say Maria Mokae is dedicated to her work is a clear understatement. While many dread taking their work home, this compassionate woman chooses to make her work part of a big family which she has been part of building since joining the Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme in 2007.

After working her way up at Kagiso Trust through a natural work ethic and passion for helping people in need, Mother Mokae, as I’ve come to call her, shared her journey to becoming the Mother of Education at the organisation.

“I started working at the CEO’s office performing PA duties and handling some of the Scholarship programme’s duties,” says Maria. When she saw the programme growing rapidly, she saw it necessary to get more involved, and subsequently joined the Programmes Department where she received mentorship and training from the Trust.

This is where she got the opportunity to further engage and fully commit to the Eric Molobi Scholarship Programmes’ young people. Over and above providing financial assistance to the students in the programme, Mother Mokae believes the personal presence of a guardian is key to each student’s academic success.

“I personally do home visits to the students joining the programme, where I get a sense of their backgrounds and upbringing. This is to help Kagiso Trust to better understand the students and their individual needs.”

This hasn’t been easy for Maria as she says, “I have come across many young people in this programme, many of which are from the very poor rural communities which the Kagiso Trust focuses on.

I have come across child-headed households, families with no source of income, and those who live in poverty-ridden living conditions.” As a mother, she finds this deeply saddening and difficult to handle at times. But, she says, with her strong religious background, she has always found strength in her faith.

Born and nurtured by loving parents, and grandparents who were ministers in the Jo’burg township of Alexandra, Mother Mokae first learnt the importance of Ubuntu around her own community. Her parents showed her the importance of love and understanding, which she now has shares with her “own children” - referring to her

own kids and those under her wing in the EMSP.

After interacting with children from various parts of rural South Africa, Mother Mokae has learnt a lot about South African cultures and can speak most of the national languages fluently. She says the knowledge of these languages breaks down the barriers of backgrounds.

The EMSP is fully committed to churning out academics who understand the importance of being leaders in their communities. “A lot of my children graduate and go back to their communities and inspire others through talks and by conducting extra classes for those who are keen to improve their lives,” she adds. “In conjunction with REAP - the Rural Education Access Programme - we have been able to help our children adjust better to the urban culture shock. This is key to ensuring that the programme’s students keep focused.”

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Moving forward, Mother Mokae is planning on seeing the programme grow, providing counselling, workshops for job training and support for the students’ families. She says this is very possible through donated funds and volunteered help. She would like to invite past students of the programme to join Kagiso Trust’s Bold Step Campaign and support the current students involved in the programme.

Mother Mokae would like to add more children to her more than 53-strong family of students who are talented in the areas of Maths and Science, with a pass average above 75%.

She went on to say that young people should not let their backgrounds be a hurdle in their lives, as they need only their potential, focus and hard work to do well.

Mother Mokae thanked the Kagiso Trust for leading her to her true calling - a calling that allows her to mother so many children through education.

The EMSP is fully committed to churning out academics who understand the importance of being leaders in their communities.

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“Young people should not let their backgrounds be a hurdle in their lives, as they need only their potential, focus and hard work to do well”

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Focus Breeds the Right MotivationFocusing on youth in business with KERPEF’s Mohlolo Selala

A man’s character is striking only when he exudes focus and passion for life.

KERPEF’s Mohlolo Selala is such a man. With a centered mindset to achieve, Selala has certainly unpacked life successfully. I was offered the opportunity to meet with him at the Kagiso Trust’s offices recently to discuss youth in business, life and everything else in between.

While a young man in the humble location of Khuma in the North West, Mohlolo first discovered his knack for business, selling cigarettes and sweets, which he later grew into a tuck shop. A dedicated young individual, he recalls the humble conditions that bred his focus and determination. His desire to achieve was evident in the decisions he made at an early age.

Mohlolo had a passion for knowledge, which led to him teaching at an adult school while in matric; this, he says, was a humbling experience which taught him a lot about patience and the importance of sharing the gift of education. Post-matric he decided on a career in the commercial field where he embarked on a BCom degree, which he fought tooth and nail to complete, taking gap years to raise the necessary funds to go back to complete his modules. His natural love for educating though, continued as he taught accounting and other commercial subjects at local high schools in his community.

He used this as a platform to guide and better prepare the youth in his area for the outside world. He stresses the importance of channeling young people and guiding them extensively in their career choices, but also believes in the introduction of entrepreneurship at school level.

After graduating, Mohlolo worked for various accounting firms in the industry before joining Kagiso Trust.

His combined love for education and business development led him to join KT after he realized that the entity had shared interests with the vision that he had been trying to push in his own community. He says the marriage of the two - education and business- cannot be overlooked as they form part of a solution to any community trying to prosper economically.

The Kagiso Enterprises Rural Private Equity Fund (KERPEF) was established in 2002 by Kagiso Trust as a fund management entity. This programme is aimed at pursuing sustainable rural development and wealth creation. It funds sustainable high growth rural enterprises and facilitates economic participation of previously disadvantaged individuals in rural areas.

Mohlolo stresses the importance of realizing business opportunities in rural areas, as more and more youth opt for urban areas in search for better opportunities.

“It’s crucial for youth in rural areas to create wealth, and this they can do by finding business solutions to societal needs, and by spotting a gap in their community.”

His work at KERPEF is as such, as he seeks to find solution-driven individuals who can spot a gap in their own communities and offer answers by starting enterprises that are sustainable and economically viable.

“It’s crucial for youth in rural areas to create

wealth, and this they can do by finding business solutions to societal

needs, and by spotting a gap in their community.”

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“For these initiatives to prosper, a lot of patience should be exercised and the business owners should persevere and show a desire to achieve,” he explains.

Even with his busy schedule Mohlolo still finds time to go to the gym, do his gardening, play a round of golf, take nature walks and enjoy a light read at home, where he lives with his wife of 5 years. He believes that a healthy diet and lifestyle breed a focused and driven mindset that the body actions.

A vegan for more than 12 years, he believes in the notion that the more you feel alive, the more you have the opportunity to do great things.

Looking to the future, Selala emphasizes the importance to do our best as individuals. He believes that the answer to an economically sound rural community is the creation and sustaining of small businesses, as they create wealth and solve societal inactivity amongst the youth in rural communities.

In parting, Selala advised that if the youth should take four hours every day and use it to focus and be proactive, then due results will show in their lives.

He also went on to say, “The youth should have five year plans in order to gauge how viable their ideas are, and how much they need to focus on them.”

Thabo Mofutsanyana District 2012 Well Done CeremonyThe BNSDP holds a strong belief that celebrating the performance and contribution of educators and schools who continuously commit themselves to not only their schools but also the communities they serve, is key to sustaining good performance in schools.The Thabo Mofutsanyana District thus hosted a function to acknowledge the performance of schools and educators in the District on the 2nd of March 2012 at Kgolathuto Secondary School.The event was well-attended, with the Free State Provincial Department of Education’s Head of Department, Mr. RS Malope, honouring the event among the guests.

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