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Helping the “Missing Middle”

Helping the “Missing Middle”

The Development and Alumni Relations office at DUT, in partnership with students from the University’s Department of Public Relations Management, launched the “Fund the Missing Middle Campaign”, an initiative aimed at providing support to students who are “too well off” to qualify for funding by the National Financial Aid Scheme, but are still “too poor” to afford their fees or any form of commercial loan.

The initiative was recently launched at the Steve Biko Campus.

According to David Sedumedi, Development and Alumni Relations Director, his office was approached by a group of students from the University’s Department of Public Relations Management to help them on the campaign as well brainstorm ways in which they could help their fellow students who are the “missing middle”.

“No increment of fees in 2016 created a lot of shortfalls and the reality is that there are still students who are unable to afford their fees. When the students from Public Relations Management came to my office with the idea of making everyone (students and alumnus) involved in fundraising for their peers, we were more than willing to assist with the campaign and brainstorm how we will go on about tackling the issue. It is about students taking a stand,” said Sedumedi.

“Missing middle” students are those students with parents or guardians earning R10 000 and above but are unable to afford university fees and loans primarily because they have other financial commitments. The DUT “Fund the Missing Middle Campaign” is a plea to all students, staff and Alumni of the University to donate a minimum of R10.00 and a maximum amount desired by each individual. “We made it a minimum of R10.00 a month because the idea is not to exclude anyone and it is not a once off pledge,” said Sedumedi.

Further calling for support of this campaign, Student Representative Council (SRC) President, Zama Mncube, said the student body was not only proud of the Public Relations Management students’ actions, but wanted to join in on urging everyone who is part of the DUT community to extend their assistance. “You cannot be proud of being part of the DUT family and yet have students who deserve to be part of it left outside in the cold because of financial constraints. We all have R10.00 at some point of our lives during the 12 months of the year. Therefore, let us take it upon ourselves to assist each other,” she said.

– Noxolo Memela

Pictured: David Sedumedi, Development and Alumni Relations Director at DUT, and Zandi Ndlovu, Co-ordinator at the Development and Alumni Relations office with Public Relations Management student

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