South Africans Rally to Support Graduate Who Did It for His “Momma”
Lwandile Mapuza has shown South Africans this week not only the importance of pursuing a good education, against all odds; but also the importance of gratitude and family love. His unwavering pursuit of a good education was brought to local attention on social media by Siyavuya Mawaters Maila who posted photos of Lwandile a couple […]
Lwandile Mapuza has shown South Africans this week not only the importance of pursuing a good education, against all odds; but also the importance of gratitude and family love.
His unwavering pursuit of a good education was brought to local attention on social media by Siyavuya Mawaters Maila who posted photos of Lwandile a couple of days ago, after Lwandile graduated from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Business Science, specialising in Finance with Accounting.
Siyavuya said: “With poverty written all over them, he graduated… pulled through against all odds, not time for self pity black child.”
Siyavuya, a psychiatric nurse who’s currently doing his masters, told SAPeople he was at the Campus in UWC playing on his phone while waiting for an appointment, when he noticed Lwandile’s tweet.
“This guy’s photos caught my attention. I read his caption – ‘I do this for my momma ???? I put her through much‘. Saw he had just graduated at UCT, saw his mom and little brother. As they say… a picture paints a thousand words. The picture told his story. I decided to share it on Facebook… it trended… and someone who knew him inboxed me. They said they were with him in high school, that he’s from a very poor family… from Nyanga East in a squatter camp called Europe.
“That touched me even more as I could see where he’s from, I know living conditions in that place as I know a few people staying there.”
Siyavuya posted the photos on Facebook, along with a quote from Lwandile: “I am currently doing my Bcom Honours in Taxation, I am looking for additional funding for now.”
OVER 30,000 people liked Siyavuya’s post… and many of those offered assistance to Lwandile – a guy from the township whose ambitions are as huge as his appreciation and love for his mother… and brother. In one graduation photo with his brother he encouragingly said: “One day it’s going to be you Lil brother.”
Siyavuya said he decided to meet up with Lwandile, and planned to meet him this weekend… but after chatting on the phone he couldn’t wait, the weekend seemed too far away… so he went to visit him yesterday after class.
“All I saw is exactly the person in the picture,” says Siyavuya. “He is so needy” and he is also “a strong ambitious young man”!
After the meeting, Siyavuya wrote on Facebook: “Just met Lwandile. I am out of words, people. What a strong young man. Thank you South Africans for responding. Hopefully something will work out.”
UPDATE: Tonight, Glynne Goldberg Wolman from the Angel Network, announced the following: “WE CANNOT CONTAIN OUR EXCITEMENT!!! Thanks to the mammoth efforts of 2 phenomenal angels, Melanie Levy and Melanie Ger, SA Link have given LWANDILE a scholarship to cover all his costs for the rest of the year…”
#CongratulationsLwandile #MakingSouthAfricansProud #InspiringTheWorld #ThankYouSiyavuyaForSharing
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