The saving grace of many students ’ dreams
By Lebogang Tsotetsi , PPS Communications Manager
Not having the money to complete his final year at medical school , almost made Joshua Motto-Ros ’ s dream of becoming a doctor “ flatline ”.
That was until the PPS Foundation stepped in an awarded him a bursary in 2018 , regardless of banks not considering his loan applications for what he believed to be his “ high surety risk ”.
The 29-year old , who is now busy with his community year in Trompsburg in the Free State , says he will never forget the day he received the news that he was awarded a bursary .
“ One thing the PPS Foundation has taught me is that there is always hope . When I felt like there was no way of funding my final year , the PPS Foundation came through . A day I will never forget ,” recounts Motto-Ros .
Varuna Kanavathy ( 24 ), who received funding to study towards her Psychology degree at the University of the Free State from 2018 to 2020 agrees : “ The PPS Foundation has been instrumental in the attainment of my dreams and has played a huge role in my life . Without the work of this company , I would not have been able to solely focus on my academic pursuits and to have achieved what I have .”
Giving trends during the pandemic
Now , amid a pandemic , where there are often added pressures on students and their families to pay for tertiary education , the PPS Foundation continues its work and programmes to enable these youngsters to follow their dreams .
“ We consider ourselves a key stakeholder in the education system . In the five years of our existence , we are pleased to have continued with our work to nurture the potential of South African youth . This has been achieved through our programmes and initiatives , where we partnered with like-minded individuals and organisations ,” says Masenyane Molefe , Executive Trustee of the PPS Foundation .
“ Over the past five years , there are many milestones and lives touched in the process . However , we cannot do this without generous donations – not only from PPS Insurance as our main sponsor , but
31