By: The Division of Communications & Advancement
This graduation season, 2,063 students received their qualifications from Rhodes University. Among them, 107 came through targeted access pathways supported by GADRA Education, the Rhodes University Bridging Programme, and the 9/10ths mentoring initiative. That is 5.2% of this year’s graduating class—one in every nineteen students—who began their academic journey not through conventional routes but through community-rooted partnerships that are changing what access to higher education looks like in Makhanda.
GADRA Education, a local non-profit organisation, has operated in Makhanda for decades. It focuses on public education advocacy, academic support, and systemic reform. Its flagship programme, the GADRA Matric School (GMS), offers a full-time second-chance opportunity for learners to improve their matric results. GMS is not just an academic support centre—it functions as a launchpad for students with potential whom under-resourced schools have failed. Each year, it helps students unlock doors that once seemed firmly shut to higher education.
This year, 74 graduates were alumni of GMS. Of these, 27 also went through the Bridging Programme jointly run by GADRA and Rhodes University, which enables students to begin their university studies part-time while upgrading their school results. Additionally, 33 graduates were part of the 9/10ths mentoring programme—an initiative in which Rhodes University student volunteers provide year-long mentoring to matriculants from local no-fee high schools.
These programmes do not simply improve access. They support completion. Nearly half of the graduates who came through the Bridging Programme completed their degrees in the minimum time. The stories behind these numbers reveal the accurate measure of success.
STORIES
Nomathamsanqa Zondo balanced raising a child with completing her Bachelor of Education. She was rejected twice before and found her footing at GMS, where teachers offered academic and emotional support. For her, graduating is more than a personal win—it’s a promise fulfilled to her child and a step toward becoming a teacher who brings the same kind of support into her classroom.
Liyema Ndzipo, a 9/10ths mentee from Nombulelo Secondary School, completed both a Bachelor of Social Science and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. A mentor, tutor, residence leader and Golden Key Society member, Liyema represents the ripple effect of community engagement—where those who are supported go on to help others.
Abongile Sikutshwa, mentored through 9/10ths at Ntsika Secondary, completed his Honours in Botany and is now pursuing a Master’s. For him, education is a family value, passed down from parents who never had the opportunity to study themselves but instilled in him the belief that he could.
Silindokuhle Nquma, who began her university journey through the Bridging Programme, says it gave her the time and space to prepare for the demands of full-time study. She’s now doing Honours in English, becoming the first in her family to enter—and graduate from—university.
Crystal Felix came to GMS with little confidence and was uncertain about studying in English for the first time. Patient, supportive teachers helped her find her footing. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science and is pursuing postgraduate study in Labour Relations.
Deveron Size, also from GMS, completed a Bachelor of Education and honoured a personal promise to his late father and grandmother. He wants to teach in Makhanda, give back to his community, and perhaps one day teach at a university.
Azola Hani improved his matric score dramatically at GMS and earned a place at Rhodes. He graduated with a BA in Legal Theory and Politics and started his LLB this year. He now volunteers as a tutor at GMS and is committed to helping others reach the same milestone.
These are not isolated stories. They are part of a broader transformation—reshaping Rhodes University and surrounding city. The University is becoming what Vice-Chancellor Prof Sizwe Mabizela envisioned: a university of Makhanda, not just in Makhanda.
GADRA and Rhodes University Community Engagement, in partnership with local schools and communities, are showing that access is only the beginning. With support, mentorship, and belief, students from under-resourced backgrounds can thrive—and in doing so, they are creating a new academic future for Makhanda.