UCT Sustainability and the SDGs 2022 - Magazine - Page 7
SDG 1
NO POVERTY
The UCT Postgraduate Funding Of昀椀ce disbursed R371.3
million in 2024 to 2 786 of this cohort through more than 4 300
The aim is to share knowledge that will bene昀椀t society by fostering civic
literacy in students, while providing them with further learning and skills.
scholarships, including 762 international and refugee students.
These funds, which covered tuition, accommodation, meals and
travel, represent a 3.4% increase from 2023, re昀氀ecting UCT’s
ongoing commitment to widening access and promoting success.
In a country marked by deep inequality, access to
Through these initiatives, UCT continues to create pathways
higher education remains one of the strongest paths
for students from all backgrounds to achieve their academic
out of poverty. UCT recognises its role in breaking these
goals and become economically empowered graduates who
barriers by supporting students from disadvantaged
can help drive South Africa’s development.
– Fahmida Harris, senior clinical educator, Department of Health
and Rehabilitation Sciences.
backgrounds and generating knowledge that informs
more equitable social policies.
Institutional initiatives
Community engagement
UCT physios pay it forward to Hanover
Park community
Staff and students from the Division of Physiotherapy donated
Removing 昀椀nancial barriers to accessing
higher education
their time and expertise, as well as several pots of nutritious food
For many South African students, the greatest obstacle to
This was to the community of Hanover Park, an area in Cape
higher education is 昀椀nancial. UCT is committed to breaking
Town known for its high rates of violence and poverty. The
down these barriers through a range of funding and support
participation of the UCT team, led by the department’s senior
mechanisms that ensure deserving students are not
clinical educator, Fahmida Harris, aligned with the university’s
excluded for lack of 昀椀nancial means.
commitment to prioritising social responsibility activities to help
The Department of Student Affairs (DSA) provides
in an initiative to promote wellness and reduce health inequities.
address South Africa’s development challenges.
comprehensive guidance through its Student Financial
Aid Of昀椀ce, helping students navigate bursary and loan
opportunities, including the National Student Financial Aid
Building capacity and mobilising partnerships
for social impact
Scheme (NSFAS). UCT offers Gap Funding for those who do
The Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
not meet NSFAS eligibility criteria but still require assistance,
is a specialised academic initiative housed at UCT’s Graduate
as well as monthly subsistence vouchers for postgraduates
School of Business. It focuses explicitly on advancing social
affected by reductions in state support.
innovation and entrepreneurship.
14 - Sustainability and the SDGs 2024
Physiotherapy team highlighting the bene昀椀ts of social responsiveness. From left: Naa-ielah Pandey, Mariam Maged,
Rukshaar Samodien, Fahmida Harris, Lindokuhle Mashinini, Olwethu Gumede and Connor Davids.
Sustainability and the SDGs 2024 – 15
