Mom’s legacy lives on in award
● Young Rhodes alumnus introduces scholarship to honour late mother
Determined to turn her beliefs into actions, a young #FeesMustFall activist and Rhodes alumnus has started a memorial scholarship in honour of her mother who succumbed to cancer last year.
Malaika wa Azania Mahlatsi, 26, of Soweto, established the scholarship in honour of her mother, Dipuo Mahlatsi, 46, to continue with her vision of creating equality and transformation in higher learning.
“My mother was a student activist back in the 1990s in Soweto,” Mahlatsi said.
“She was very active and bold about the fight for social justice, and I wanted to keep her memory alive.”
Mahlatsi said her mother was passionate about environmental initiatives and had worked at several NGOs, including the SA NGO Coalition.
“She was not only a mother to me but a friend and comrade. During the #FeesMustFall protests she was in solidarity with the students.”
Dipuo was diagnosed with cancer in April last year and died shortly after that.
“To keep her spirit alive, I established a scholarship aimed to carry on with her legacy and everything she believed in.”
Mahlatsi has partnered with Rhodes University to establish the scholarship for post graduate students who are passionate about environmental sustainability.
“My main focus is to fund Eastern Cape-based students because there are fewer opportunities there,” she said.
“I can’t help the whole world but I am able to make a difference in someone’s life.
“I can create a sense of hope and possibly they can also give back to the less fortunate.”
The Dipuo Mahlatsi memorial scholarship will include one year’s funding worth R10,000 for people pursuing honours in geography and sociology.
Mahlatsi said the money would fund two students.
“The scholarship is out of my pocket for now but I hope to get more funding so I can partner with other universities in the province.”
She said Rhodes University was helping her select the best students, with applications closing in October.
“I won’t go for the straight A students but for those passionate about social justice and who show a great interest in environmental affairs.”
Mahlatsi works for the Gauteng government and is enrolled as a part-time student for her master’s degree at Rhodes.
Rhodes University Research Office manager John Gillam said the university would help Mahlatsi with administration.
“The university’s involvement is to help Malaika establish the award in memory of her mother and provide the administrative support to facilitate the award to students so they may pursue further studies at honours level,” he said.
‘I can’t help the whole world but I am able to make a difference in someone’s life’
Malaika wa Azania Mahlatsi
RHODES ALUMNUS