Her role in helping others sees student win travel bursary

A UNIVERSITY of Fort Hare business management student is looking forward to the trip of a lifetime after she landed a three-week travel bursary with the Abe Bailey Trust.

Honours student Nomfundo Phambuka, 24, who was born and raised in Soweto by a single mother and her grandmother, said it would be her first trip out of the country.

“If it wasn’t for this bursary I would not have dreamt of going overseas.

“This feels surreal – I am so thankful,” said Phambuka, who is a research assistant in the business management department and also marks first-year assignments.

As a recipient of the prestigious bursary, Phambuka and 17 other students from all over South Africa who were also awarded the bursary, will jet off from Cape Town in November.

After a brief stopover in Ethiopia to visit the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, they will fly to England to tour Oxford and Cambridge universities, visit the Houses of Parliament and engage with MPs, and enjoy an excursion to the British Museum and a day in Stratford-on-Avon.

A coach trip to Scotland will follow where they will tour Edinburgh, visit Dunnottar Castle and enjoy a hike to Glen Esk.

The trip includes theatre outings and meals at upmarket restaurants.

The Abe Bailey Travel Bursary aims to broaden the views of young South Africans with leadership qualities and a strong service ethic and to promote South African unity.

Since its inception in 1951, 800 South Africans have enjoyed this all-expenses paid educational trip.

Phambuka said she thought her involvement in the university’s Indlovukazi Women Empowerment Society where she was deputy president last year, had stood her in good stead to be awarded the bursary.

“I was lucky because when I arrived for the first year my uncle came with me, but girls who come here alone are vulnerable and there have been a number of rape cases because they do not know who they can trust,” she said.

“With Indlovukazi we helped form a sexual harassment ruling at the university.”

She said fellow students sometimes asked her why she got involved in community work since there was no remuneration for her time and effort.

“I guess being awarded a bursary like this is the best reward!” she said. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za