Mabatlo Semenya

I hereby write to express my heartfelt and sincere gratitude to you for the bursary you provided to me.

I come from a financially humble background and my family, extraordinarily and lovingly happy, would by no means have been able to pay for my studies.

Once again, thank you for your support. Through it, you really are assisting to build a better South Africa. I pray and trust that God shall multiply your resources so that you may be able to assist other students.

Signed: Mabatlo Semenya, BComm 4, UCT (Graduated December 2008)

Ms Setebatebe B Maphuta

As a black and previously disadvantaged student, I would like to extend my acknowledgement and honour to everyone involved in making Link-SA Fund bursaries exist; indeed it helps in making many dreams come true. Please be further encouraged to continue assisting fellow students as your efforts are worth it!

Signed: Ms Setebatebe B Maphuta¸BCom Info Systems 3, UCT

Ms Raihaanah Khan

As I child, I always wanted to help someone else. I think my inner need to help others less fortunate than me guided me into the medical field. I decided to pursue a degree in Occupational Therapy. Occupational therapists enable people to live as independently as possible, to their fullest capacity in engaging in occupations that are meaningful to them. Being an occupational therapist is a dream come true for me!

Signed: Ms Raihaanah Khan, BSc Occ Therapy, 4, UCT (graduated in Dec. 2008)

Kudakwashe Boyd

My name is Kudakwashe Boyd. I concluded my LLB degree at the end of the year 2007 at the University of Stellenbosch. I am a beneficiary of your Trust. I am currently doing my LLM in Property law (Mineral rights).

Firstly I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for all the support you have given me. I will forever be indebted to you. I am looking forward to showing my appreciation by becoming a Link SA benefactor some time in the future and will keep in close contact with the Trust in the years to come.

Signed: Kudakwashe Boyd, LLB Graduate, Stellenbosch 2007, Graduated Masters 2009

Thabiso Ndebele

The beginning of February saw the start of it all, with the year-plan handed to us. The work rate was quicker than usual but I managed to stay afloat. The first term ended on a high note, with my course results being great.

The second half of the year was rather testing. There were no lectures and one had to be the master of time. I really enjoyed my design and lab projects to the point that I decided to combine the two concepts for my Masters in Engineering. What made the second half better was the fact that a body like Link-SA was behind me. It did put my mind at ease, but on the same note, the expectation increased dramatically.

The year has been a highly successful one, now I can call myself a BEE (Black Electrical Engineer)! I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Link-SA. The belief you have in us is amazing. I achieved an A for my Design project which backs this up. I hope that other students such as me will be taken care of similarly.

It is now that we can use our skills to improve the living standards of our country.

Signed: Thabiso Ndebele, BSc Elec Eng, 4 Wits. (Graduated with one distinction, Dec 2008)

Ms Marise Subrayan

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Link-SA for the financial aid they have given me over the last year. Your generosity has greatly eased the financial burden on my family and allowed me to concentrate on my furthering my path to one day becoming a great doctor. I spent this academic year aiming to thank the Trust by reaching my full potential in acquiring as much knowledge and clinical experience as possible.

Link-SA saw in me the potential that I knew I always had. Your belief in my abilities has been - and will continue to be - a source of comfort and motivation in the years to come.

Signed: Ms Marise Subrayan, Medicine, 4, Wits

Mr David Burmeister

I continued to work for a third semester at the Rhodes University Legal Aid Clinic and was awarded the coveted Thompson Date Chong award for the most significant contribution by a Rhodes student to the Legal Aid Clinic.

I have also been instrumental in the setting up and running of the Rhodes University Legal Activism Society, which had the goal of teaching uneducated people about the law and informing them of their rights. This society has moved from strength to strength and I am happy to say that I assisted it through its formative stages.

In conclusion, all of the above would not have been possible, were it not for your kind and generous gift. I therefore wish to thank you once again.

Signed: Mr David Burmeister, LLB Graduate, Rhodes University
(This student was placed on The Dean’s Merit List for academic achievement in 2007.)

Ms Faghmia Solomon

At St Joseph’s Home, I got to work with physically disabled children mostly afflicted with cerebral palsy, TB meningitis, and HIV aids amongst many others. At first it was sad and scary being surrounded by so many children needing my help. In the first week I was even too nervous to transfer my patient’s into different positions because of the slight possibility that they might fall or get hurt, but the children were so loveable and talented, that I soon felt more relaxed and confident as the weeks progressed.

Working at Gugulethu Day Hospital and Mfuleni Community Centre was fun and exciting. At Gugulethu I saw mostly stroke patients, amputees and those with chronic back pain and arthritis. Since Mfuleni was a disadvantaged community my partner and I spent most of our time visiting old age homes and community which was really fun. We played games with the elderly and made many friends. We even had the opportunity to help out in a soup kitchen and decorate a creche to make it more stimulating for the kids.

Signed: Ms Faghmia Solomon, Bsc Physiotherapy, 3, UWC

Bonele Lusithi

I’ve been a tutor for about a year now and the experience has been amazing. I got to tutor first years or people who have never used a computer before. Before coming to Varsity, I had never used a computer, and learned a lot from my tutors in first and second year, so it was good to help others understand computers and all the programs, for which I have grown to be passionate.

Personal ambitions include being a Senior Software Developer in the next four years and do my Honours in Information Systems in the next two years through UNISA while working. Also, I want to have a fully working IT company focused at building applications for small businesses and schools by the time I reach thirty.

The Link-SA bursary has allowed me to spend time working and thinking about my studies instead of worrying about how I am going to pay my fees and NSFAS. Also, my family have less stress about the study loan which has been dramatically reduced. I thank Link-SA for the bursary and hope more students will benefit from its initiatives.

Signed: Bonele Lusithi, BSc Computer Science & Info Systems, Graduated 2008 Rhodes

Ms Carmen McShane

This has been a very difficult year as it is my final, and the workload is hectic! One of the highlights of my year was working on the Phelophepa Health Train. This is a train that travels all over the country providing basic medical services to rural people. It was a great experience as I learnt a lot about public health care and the issues faced in South Africa today. It was wonderful living with and learning from people who were from all walks of life.

Signed: Ms Carmen McShane, B Pharm 4, Rhodes (Graduated Dec 2008)

Ms Asa Nontshinga

This year has been a very involved year for me, both socially and academically. I was involved in the Trojan Academic Initiative as a mentor. For one semester, I had a group of five first years that I was responsible for. I related to them, as I remember how it was for me three years ago. What a difference these three years has made! I received a Certificate in Peer Mentoring, which is good for my CV.

Once again, thank you for the money for my fees. If is wasn’t for you, Link-SA, I’d have a huge balance to settle with NSFAS when I start working in 2009. Thanks for motivating me. Keep up your good work!

Signed: Ms Asa Nontshinga, BCom, Final. Rhodes. (Graduated Dec 2008)

Llewellyn du Toit

I teach some children from various primary schools around Stellenbosch in need of maths lessons.

I also started tutoring Ncomisa in Accounting (a matric pupil at a local school).  I haven’t done accounting since high school, and I thought it would come back easily. It didn’t.  But the two of us worked hard and we worked through a couple of example papers.  She let me know that she has passed Accounting and her year.  It was great news!

I would like to thank you for the support you provided last year.  If it was not for the financial support from Link-SA, I would most definitely not have been in my Final year of studies.  The work went really well and I passed all my subjects.  Most of my marks were in the sixties.

Thank you so much for helping me and making this dream come true.  You have no idea how much these bursaries mean to us!  Thank you for believing in me and I give you my word that one day I will do my bit to put something back!

Signed: Llewellyn du Toit, LLB, Stellenbosch (Graduated Dec 2008)