MEC, Mandla Makupula witnessed his vision coming to life as he hosted 300 Mathew Goniwe Provincial Scholarship Beneficiaries in East London on the 1^st – 2^nd of September 2017 during the launch of the Matthew Goniwe Bursary.

This Bursary is in Honor of one of the Cradock Four revolutionaries, Matthew Goniwe who had a passion for knowledge and was also a Maths and Science teacher. In his address the MEC gave a brief background about the man, Matthew who was a game changer during his time and a patriot who wouldn’t let the circumstances of that era deter him from the vision to liberate the nation. He spoke of Matthew as a man who had the ability to inspire in the way he lived his life and conducted himself. “There are man and women who, whilst caring out their normal daily life and conduct tend to inspire others and Matthew Goniwe belonged in that category of people”, said Makupula.

The shortage of Maths and Science teachers has been a cry in the Eastern Cape Province for some time and many have been calling for something to done. This Bursary then, seeks to respond to that call, as it will mostly fund those doing teaching majoring in these critical subjects. Fundamental to this is that, on completion of their studies or the four-year degree, the Bursars are required to give back fours years of their time teaching in areas where there is a dire need around the Eastern Cape. To ease the financial burden on these students, the bursary will cover tuition fees, residence and meals and study material costs. Important to note is, students will be required to finish their degree in record time and failure is not an option. The MEC made it clear that should one fail a year; to repeat that year they will have to make means for themselves.

During the 2-day event, the students got an opportunity to interact with the man who has made it possible for them to further their studies and look forward to a better future. They got a rare opportunity to ask him questions and sure left no stone unturned as the MEC humored them and responded to every question. In her Speech Zinzile Sineke, a 23-year-old teacher who came to give words of motivation to these future teachers had this to say, “Teaching is a noble and delicate profession and we are given a wonderful job to work with the mind of a child and mold the character of a child”. She went on to speak on the qualities that a teacher must possess; patience, love and passion for the job. She said “There will be days you can’t take it anymore but remember why you chose your profession”. As she pleaded with the conscience of the students, she reminded them that teaching is a profession that shapes and influences the lives of many. “Do not teach only how to count, but also what counts”, concluded Sineke.

In a dialogue hosted by the Eastern Cape Department of Education in partnership with the Daily Dispatch, the MEC provided a platform for the public to give opinion and have a discourse. This saw members of the public giving fruitful inputs and some commending and supporting this initiative, also bringing to the fore education issues that need to be attended to.

The main event that took place on day two saw many high profile personalities honoring the launch, giving their support to what is to be a life changing initiative in the lives of many and future generations.

In the words of Nelson Mandela “EDUCATION IS THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON WHICH YOU CAN USE TO CHANGE THE WORLD”. As the ECDoE this is but one of the ways in which we play our part in empowering and educating an African child.