O-Week
Prior to the O-Week I was preparing for the financial appeals and assisting students who phoned speaking asking for different kinds of assistance. During the O-Week, I was able to complete all the duties required from my side including inducting NSFAS students to the office and making sure that throughout the first semester the awareness on student services and student benefits was an ongoing thing. Secured sponsorships for the O-Week programmes and forged long lasting relationships with the sponsors.
Financial Appeals
Financial appeals were prepared by me as I sent the communication notifying students about that even before the end of last year. That has assisted because even the first year students were assisted on different channels including Facebook and emails through my office.
Financial difficulties in general
Besides financial exclusions, the student body felt the overwhelming stress from being told to pay before they could get their results and as from the 14th of December 2017, I was there to give guidance to students and to communicate with various stake holders in negotiating the students’ results that were withheld on account of financial difficulty. When the time for registration came, I stood with students and assisted in drawing the payment plans, assisted with accommodation which Residence Councillor was of great assistance. I went to different management structures seeking for the assistance of the students.
Activations have been happening and the revenue from that directly go into Ubuntu Fund.
Pads/Sanitary towels
I have stipulated in my objectives that I would do the sanitary towel drive at least once in each term but I realised that it remain good for the student benefits and sponsorship councillor to run this campaign throughout the year and keep advocating for the advancement of student lives. I have been encouraging the Rhodes 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 community to constantly donate the pads and toiletries because of the increase in demand for those benefits.
Launch of the student funding
This one is something that I promised in my portfolio manifesto. I couldn’t launch it because when I was sworn into the office, there was a new-born called Ubuntu Fund. I was tasked as the custodian of the fund and for that reason I saw it fit for me to maintain it by directing all funds to it and make sure that it grows into something bigger.
Successes
Toiletry distribution
We have been keeping all the available toiletries at the Division of Student Affairs for the collection and this has helped a lot in making sure that also the awareness goes smooth.
Sponsorship
We were able to secure sponsorship for a long time and that also the Noodle Drive of the Residence councillor was successfully sponsored.
I was also able to even to reach out to the Grahamstown’s Parent Network for the campaigning of our initiatives. We are in good relationship to secure the sponsorship for the next semester’s Noodle Drive.
Financial Aid Appeals
Although the National Student Financial Aid Scheme has not responded, the university has shown how they cared about their students by making sure that all the students register and get all the benefits while awaiting the status of their appeals. In this regard students who might be suffering from anything that might be blamed on the delayed response from NSFAS, should visit the Financial Aid Office for assistance and should contact SRC Student Benefits and Sponsorship Councillor when feels to do so.
Great Field Party Free NSFAS First Year Students’ Free tickets
First thing that I need to note is that we couldn’t assist all the qualified students due to the shortage of the tickets. Some students arrived when the tickets were already finished. As the student Benefits Councillor, I note with importance the benefits that emancipate the general student life more especially when it comes to the students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds who depend on the benefits such as basic necessities the most. I note these things as basic stationary, sanitary towels and toiletries. At the time when we were distributing the tickets we wanted to reach a certain number of tickets so that the profit made from the Great Field Party can be directed to the Fund that would serve to fulfil that goal hence we couldn’t stop the selling of those tickets when students took time to collect of which we also own the responsibility because we did not communicate in a more adequate way due to the pressure and shortage of time as we were overwhelmed by the duties. The procedure that I followed which was going to be the only one due to the confidentiality required when the personal information is concerned. I wish there was a way to make those students understand that we were trying to secure their interest in the way. I apologize.
Student Benefits
Stated from my manifesto last year, my passion lies to the students and I desire to make sure that we achieve justice when it comes to the benefits. I have met with the Give 5 committee just after the project was completed to ask if they can make sure that the Give 5 committee is a task team looking on how the Student Benefits work in the university and look into the way in which the awareness takes place in terms of that. Give 5 committee has given its recommendations and agreed to make sure that they make it a point that they assist in fundraising and other stuff in the university. This is in details in the minutes(Consult for the minutes).
Give 5 trophy was handed over to Founders Hall for being on the top of the Give 5 halls in terms of the money raised and its Botha house won the Flat Screen TV sponsored by PnP Family store. This was on the 15 of May 2018 at Founders Hall.
Toiletries, I met with the Director of Student Affairs, the Manager of Student Services from the DSA and the President and Treasurer from the SRC to discuss the progress and the challenges that DSA might be facing in distributing the Toiletries and challenges and issues were resolved. DSA remains responsible for distribution of these things.
Followed up on Financial Aid Office about Financial Appeals and Mr Walters who has also moved into the Student Fees Office stated to me that, they will assist students on a case by case basis since the NSFAS is probably still not near to finish the process and this is the biggest challenge brought about by the centralisation of NSFAS by our govet. I attended the meeting called by the Director of Student Affairs Dr Nomangwane Mrwetyane to discus with SRC, SAPS, Grahamstown Business Forum, Hi-Tech, and the CPU the safety issues that have been reported and this meeting was on the 14th of May. The resolution was to create a WhatsApp group so that the crime can be reported everywhere and assistance can be made sooner. This was not the only thing proposed as the solution (consult for the minutes).