Vryheid genius scoops 30 distinctions at DUT
Relying on his mother’s salary as a domestic worker and his grandmother’s monthly pension, Siyaya never gave up, despite the initial setbacks.
THE late icon, Nelson Mandela is quoted as saying, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” and few people have had as much impact on history as Madiba had.
22-year-old Siyaya Mvelo, after years of effort and determination, has given himself the tools to put Madiba’s profound words into practice by arming himself with education and graduating from the Durban University of Technology on May 12 with no less than 30 distinctions.
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This remarkable academic achievement did not come without its share of struggle for Siyaya, who left Vryheid in January of 2014 with little more than his determination to learn and the taxi fare to get him to Durban. Siyaya was granted the chance to further his studies at DUT in 2014. Relying on his mother’s salary as a domestic worker and his grandmother’s monthly pension, Siyaya never gave up, despite the initial setbacks. When he was planning to register, his mother was unable to raise sufficient funds to cover the cost of his education, but he never lost hope.
“I remember when I left home, the only thing that I wanted was to further my studies, even though I didn’t have money for registration or accommodation,” said Siyaya, who recalls having to sleep in the 24-hour section of the library until the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) approved his application for funding.
Siyaya passed matric with four distinctions out of seven subjects but committed himself to improve on his Senior Certificate results at DUT by passing all of his subjects with distinction, a commitment he did not fail to deliver on.
“Dedicating my time to my studies really helped me because, when NSFAS could not fully fund me for my tuition, I qualified for the DUT remission (which is a merit award for students that qualify to receive other bursaries or scholarships provided that they have an aggregate of 75% or more for each of their instructional offering for the year of study),” added Siyaya in an interview with Noxolo Memela for the DUT website.
“Growing up, I watched my mother and grandmother struggle to make sure that my six cousins and I had food, that we were clothed and that we went to school like all of the other children. Although my mum was sceptical of me leaving Vryheid for Durban in 2014, I promised her that our way out of poverty is through me,” said Siyaya.
Three years later, after hard work, dedication and relentless pursuit of his dream, Siyaya Mvelo has returned to his hometown with his National Diploma in Internal Auditing, paving the way for his future and setting a standard for others who are willing to work hard to reach their goals through focus and commitment to their education.
