KFC’s Add Hope initiative celebrated 10 years of adding hope through an immense dedication to fighting injustices like childhood hunger since 2009.
This however, was more than just a celebration, but also a scholarship handover ceremony to two unsuspecting students, Mphilisi Emmanuel Dube, 19, and Mbuso Maphumula, 17 at KFC's YUM offices in Bryanston..
Dube, an aspiring industrial engineer, said his bursary came at her point of need. “My initial sponsor’s helping hand would only go as far as June and I honestly did not have a plan for my tuition fees thereafter, and so for me, Add Hope is a life saver and I feel more determined than ever to succeed”.
Maphumula received the scholarship before getting any response from any of the institutions he had applied to. On Monday, he could not wait for the event to come to an end so he could go back home and share the good news with his mother and sister. “There are many students who are probably more deserving of this scholarship, but because God has done it for me, I promise to utilize this opportunity and become an inspiration to many less fortunate youngsters like myself,” said Maphumula.
One of the speakers at the event was Sinanziwe Ndlovu, a former recipient of the Rodger Eaton scholarship, who last week graduated at the University of Johannesburg with distinctions.
Eaton is the former global CEO of Yum! Brands and the scholarship was named after him.
Ndlovu said her excellence was inspired by the love and uncapped support she received from everyone at the the Add Hope foundation. “In addition to the provisions of the scholarship, is a reliable support team which always available to give advice”, she said.
“For someone who comes from a small community in Hillbrow and having done one odd job after another just to survive, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would graduate let alone go to a university to pursue my dream career and that for me is something I will forever be thankful to the foundation for.”
The Roger Eaton scholarship in partnership with KFC Add Hope program covers tuition, accommodation, stationery and other school related needs a student may require throughout their three-year study at their respective institutions.