Your R10 has gone a long way: 313 students registered for 2022 academic year!

Building on the success of the 2021 #R10GoesALongWay campaign, founders, organisers and partners of the initiative are delighted to announce that 313 students will be able to register for the 2022 tertiary academic year, with registration fees paid in full. This means that all of the applicants who applied are being supported: an over 200% increase in what was possible last year!

As aspirant tertiary students start submitting their 2022 registration documents for university and college, 313 of them will already be able to tick the box of “registration fees paid”. This is thanks to the collective power and purpose of #R10GoesALongWay – which raised over R1,6m over the 2021-2022 period of the campaign.

“Even if a matric student did well and is accepted by a university, the registration fees due upfront are often a significant barrier to entry,” explains Mala Suriah, CMO of Fundi. “This ‘extra’ amount, which is usually a couple of thousand rand, can sadly sometimes make all the difference between starting to study or deferring to a waiting list for the following year. Our goal with #R10GoesALongWay is to stop this from happening for as many students as possible – and we are delighted that we are able to assist even more students this year: supporting 313 as opposed to the original 106 in 2021.

Launched last year by social media celebrity Lasizwe Dambuza, and friends Nkateko “Takkies” Dinwiddy, Sibu Mabena and Ayanda Mhlongo, the idea for #R10GoesALongWay was born when Lasizwe became aware of how many students weren’t able to proceed with their university registration because of the fees – despite having the marks they needed to qualify for a place. After managing to raise a collective R38 000 between them, each of the founders reached out to families, friends and followers to help – by contributing just R10.

The original partnership put in place with Fundi to assist with fund collection, student selection and fee distribution has grown from strength to strength in this time, with both donors and applicants making use of the dedicated FundiFund site to contribute their R10s or apply to be a beneficiary. “We again went through a stringent auditing process in terms of vetting applications, ensuring students met all requisite criteria,” explains Suriah. She notes that the best part of the process is still to come however; letting the students know in person! “Many of the successful applicants from last year still stay in touch and let us know how they are doing. This makes all the behind-the-scenes work worthwhile; knowing that in some way, we have collectively made a difference to their lives forever.”

Students who receive support from the #R10GoesALongWay campaign will have their registration fees paid, directly on their behalf, to the relevant tertiary institution. This will mean they are able to start studying from day one when their chosen course begins.

With this group of students now being notified, the collective team remains committed to continuing raising much needed registration fee money for others going forward. “Just because this round of the campaign has come to an end doesn’t mean you should stop giving,” says Lasizwe. “Please continue to open your hearts, purses and e-wallets throughout the year so that we can build up reserves for the campaign’s future funding rounds. Our collective future is literally tied to this campaign. It’s worth championing in your circle of influence and support.”