About 12 Grade 11 schoolchildren from Umqhele Comprehensive School in Ivory Park and Ingqayizivele and Thuko Ke Maatla secondary schools in Tembisa took part in the African Bank Mentorship Programme last year and are now in Grade 12 and making great progress.
African Bank’s Hanri Nel and colleague Biby Tilly, who have both been the drivers behind the project and meet with the children on a monthly basis to check on their progress, said the schoolchildren recently enjoyed meeting with experts based in fields of their interest.
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The meeting included a visit to PricewaterhouseCoopers, attorneys’ offices and psychologists.
“The pupils also had career guidance assessments in December 2016 and were given feedback on their strengths and where they had potential and we are currently starting the process of assisting the girls with university and bursary applications,” said Tilly.
All those attending the programme are girls who were identified as the top achievers in their schools.
“The programme is about ‘life after Grade 12’ and we aim to equip these pupils with various skills to help them prepare for the challenges ahead. This will include assistance with choosing a higher education institution, entrance requirements, tuition fees and bursaries, but another component involves soft skills like managing your finances, public speaking,” concluded Nel.
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