UMfundo Radebe, ongumfana waseMlazi eNingizimu yeTheku oneminyaka engamashumi amabili nje kuphela, uyinkanyezi eqhakazileyo kwintsha efuna umzila wokuphumelela.
Le nsizwa okwathi ngonyaka ka-2015 yathola ithuba elingavelele noma ubani lokufunda eNyuvesi ebalelwa kwahamba phambili emhlabeni jikelele, i-Harvard University, isivele yasebenzisa amathuba enawo ukwakha uhlelo lokusiza labo bafundi abanganawo amathuba amaningi.
UMfundo, esebenzisana nabanye abantu abasha, usungule inhlangano ehlose ukuthuthukisa isimo semfundo ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi ezintulayo. Ezinye zezindlela zokulamula ukweswela ezikoleni ezixakekile ezosetshenziswa inhlangano kaMfundo wukuhlanganisa lezi zikole nalezo ezidla izambane likapondo.
Le nhlangano ibizwa ngokuthi iDlulisa Initiative.
Ngike ngathola ithuba lokukhuluma noMfundo, wanginabela kabanzi ngomsebenzi wakhe.
UMfundo uchaze wathi umsebenzi wakhe omningi ukhuthazwa inkolelo yakhe yokuthi imfundo yiyo eyokwakha ikusasa eliqhakazile eNingizimu Afrika nasemhlabeni jikelele.
Nansi ingxenye yengxoxo yami naye:
Nkosikhona Duma (ND): Ngicela ungichazele ngemvelaphi yakho?
Mfundo Radebe (MR): UMfundo umfana waseMlazi, owaba nenhlanhla yokuthola imfundo eyamuvelela amathuba eminingi, manje naye usefuna ukuvulela abanye lawo mathuba.
ND: Ngamafuphi nje, uyichaza kanjani iDlulisa Initiative?
MR: IDlulisa Initiative inhlangano yabantu abasha baseNingizimu Afrika ehlose ngokudlala indima ekuthuthukisweni kwesimo semfundo eNingizimu Afrika, ikakhulukazi emabangeni aphansi. Ngaphansi kweDlulisa Initiative, sihlanganisa izikole ezintulayo nalezi ezidla izambane likapondo. Sigqugquzela lezi ezidla izambane likapondo ukuba zisebenzise amandla azo ukuthuthukisa lezi eziswele, ngokunikela ngolwazi nangezinsiza-kusebenza.
Siphinde sizame izindlela zokwakha imali ukuze lo msebenzi uqhubeke. Kulokhu sinabantu esisebenzisana nabo emazweni anjengeMelika. Siphinde sithi shwele kosomabhizinisi bakulo leli, sicele uxhaso. Siyasebenzisana nezinhlaka zemiphakathi ukutholela izikole ezintulayo izinsiza-kufunda njengezincwadi.
(ND): Ungumuntu osemusha, omatasa kanti osanda kuqala naseNyuvesi, kungani ubone kukulungele ukunikela ngesikhathi sakho uvule iDlulisa Initiative?
(MR): Okokuqala nje, ngilapha engikhona namhlanje ngoba kwaba khona abanye abakhetha ukunginika amathuba. Nami ngibona kuyinto efanele ukuba ngilule isandla kwabanye.
Okunye, ngikwenza lokhu ngoba ngiyaqonda ukuthi uma thina esinamathuba singayidlali indima yethu ekuthuthukiseni labo abasezingeni eliphansi kunathi, ikusasa lethu sonke lisengcupheni.
(ND): Yini esingayilindela kule nhlangano?
(MR): Singalindela ukuthi ngoJanuary ka-2018, sibone iDlulisa Initiative ihambisa izincwadi ezikoleni ezintulayo, futhi ikwazi ukuqala umsebenzi ezifundazweni ezintathu. Sifisa ukungashiyi izincwadi nje kuphela, kodwa sakhe ubudlelwano nezikole ngenhloso yokuhlanganisa abafundi bazo nabantu abangabasiza bathuthukise izimpilo zabo.
(ND): ENingizimu Afrika siyabona abafundi basemanyuvesi bekhala ngesimo semfundo nenhlalo yasemanyuvesi, bebhikisha futhi. Luthini uvo lwakho ngesimo sasemanyuvesi aseNingizimu Afrika?
(MR): Kubuhlungu ukubona abanye bavalelekile ukutholeni imfundo engcono, emva kwezithembiso ezenziwa ngenkathi lelizwe lithola inkululeko.
Intuthuko yalelizwe kangeke ixoxwe kuphela ngenqubekela phambili encane esesibe nayo, kepha iyoxoxwa nangedlela esiphatha ngayo intsha yalelizwe.
Imfundo esemazingeni aphansi nayo ibhekene nensambatheka yezingqinamba. Yize abafundi emanyuvesi bekhalaza kunesizathu, masingakhohlwa ngemfundo yasemazingeni aphansi, ngoba ilele lapho imbewu yemfundo.
(ND): Zithini izinhlelo zempilo yakho kusukela manje?
(MR): Ngizimisele ngokuqhubeka nezifundo zami e-Harvard, nokudlala indima yami, ngokwenza lokhu okusemandleni ami ukwenza umhlaba ube ngcono.
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Mfundo Radebe is an inspirational young man from Umlazi, south of Durban. He’s currently studying Economics, Philosophy and Political Science at the prestigious Harvard University in the United States. He is due to graduate from the University in 2020. The article above talks about his latest initiative, the Dlulisa Education Fund, a Non-Profit Organisation which seeks to alleviate the plight which emerges from the lack of resources at many disadvantaged primary schools in South Africa. The Education Fund seeks to connect privileged schools with disadvantaged ones. The idea is that privileged schools use their ‘social capital’ to impart resources, skills and assistance to disadvantaged schools. Corporates are also being engaged to play their part and to contribute funds to sustain the initiative, Mfundo announced. Funds are being raised from as far as the United States of America.