Avuya Mnyengeza, a 17-year-old grade 11 pupil from Nompumelelo High School in Komani, has been selected to represent the province in the Financial Literacy Speech Competition in Johannesburg in October.
This comes after he came out tops in the provincial leg of the competition held in East London earlier in September.
Avuya participated in the competition at the district level, as well as provincial, where he competed against six other pupils and came first in both competitions.
The Financial Literacy Speech Competition is hosted annually by The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).
It is meant to promote financial awareness and education.
The FSCA competition is where children’s skills are nurtured in business studies and all commerce subjects.
According to the competition’s website, the top three pupils in the competition stand a chance to win life-changing prizes, including fully funded bursaries worth about R550,000 to study at any public university of their choice in SA.
“What’s more, the teachers and schools of the top three learners per province will also receive great incentives.
“We believe that these will serve to encourage the qualifying schools to enter, and that the schools will afford their grade 11 learners every opportunity to not only participate, but to work hard in the competition to come out on top,” the website says.
The competition is strictly for grade 11 pupils in secondary and high schools from quintiles 1, 2, 3 and 4, according to the competition.
It will be held on October 4.
Avuya said his goal was to win the national competition and come back with the bursary.
This would fund him for his post-matric studies, covering his accommodation, food and all other expenses.
His proud mother, Bulelwa Mnyengeza, said: “Avuya is a quiet child. He is not someone who is always outside. You will never find him outside. You will find him at school.”
She welcomed the opportunity of funding, saying a win would give her son a chance to further his studies.
Initially, the grade 11 pupil had been planning to take a gap year after matric because Mnyengeza is unemployed and his father is a pensioner.
“I cannot control myself. I am happy. I am very happy,” Mnyengeza said.
His business studies teacher, Bonisani Mathiso, said he was happy that his pupil would be representing the entire province.
Mathiso said though their trip to Johannesburg was paid for, they would have to find their own way back home.
He pleaded for the public to donate to support Avuya.
“The school does not have money set aside for things such as competitions, only sports and nutrition.
“We don’t have resources. For instance, we don’t have a library. We have a computer lab, but they don’t have computers.
“It is just an empty hall. Second, we do not have a place to practise.
We have to use our classrooms, but they are not to a good standard.”
Mathiso urged the public to assist in providing new uniforms, pyjamas, toiletries and training shoes to Avuya.
“They can contact me since I will be travelling with the child. We can arrange and discuss with that person on things such as size.”
DispatchLIVE
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