East London resident Pezisa Asanda is on a mission to help high school and university students through his non-profit organisation, World Illuminators, which he registered in 2019.
“We help grade 12 learners to apply to tertiary institutions, both colleges and universities, and help them apply for bursaries.
“We also help students in university to apply for more advanced qualifications like Honours or Masters, and help them to apply for other bursaries and NSFAS,” Asanda said.
World Illuminators has also partnered with other organisations to offer tutorials to disadvantaged high schools, but due to the lockdown this has been put on hold indefinitely.
However, Asanda said he is still offering tutorials for university students.
“I personally also give tutorials to accounting students in university.”
While it’s based in East London, World Illuminators has spread to reach students across the country.
“Now that World Illuminators operates digitally, I work with people from almost all provinces of South Africa.
“For example, I’ve got learners from Cape Town that I’m helping with tertiary applications,” Asanda said.
For Asanda, it was his own troubles as a student that inspired him to set up his organisation.
“I completed my matric in 2015 so after that, I applied for tertiary education.
“I figured out how I had some difficulties in getting there, especially when you are from remote areas and you have no access to information, nobody to help tell you about the courses and application methods,” he said.
“After noticing these challenges, which are a heavy burden especially to those coming from rural areas, I said ‘Let me help these disadvantaged people to get an education’ because I believe that should they get education, their lives will be illuminated.”
Asanda said he is hoping to organise sponsorships for World Illuminators to help expand their work nationwide.
“My dream is to go to each and every school in the Eastern Cape and all the provinces in South Africa and make sure that every learner is helped,” he said.
“I cannot do this if I don’t have transport for myself or my team, for example.”
Students interested in World Illuminators’ assistance or anyone looking to sponsor the organisation can contact Asanda at 078-756-5186 or through their Facebook page.
