Welcoming a New Cohort of Makhanda First Years
It has become a tradition for the Vice-Chancellor’s Education Initiative to start the year by celebrating the stakeholders of the Nine Tenths Programme.
Each year, we celebrate the Nine Tenths matriculants from the previous year who are now welcomed as first-year students at Rhodes University. We also celebrate their mentors, many of whom now get to experience university life alongside their former mentees. It is also an important moment for the parents of these learners, who have actively participated in their children’s growth and achievements. Principals, teachers, donors, and programme coordinators come together to share in the joy of achieving our shared goals.
This year’s annual Nine Tenths Welcome Dinner was particularly special, as we celebrated a significant milestone for the Vice-Chancellor’s Initiative — the ten-year anniversary of the Nine Tenths programme.
For Vice Chancellor, Prof Sizwe Mabizela, “In a context marked by deep inequality and limited opportunity, education offers not only skills, but hope, not only qualifications, but transformation. We were driven by a clear and ambitious objective: that the children of Makhanda should have a genuine and attainable pathway to study at Rhodes University.”
Among those in attendance were Margie and Gavin Keeton, Kavish Jawahar, and Tania Christian from the Department of Education, along with principals from partner schools: Mr Andile Njovane (Nyaluza High School), Mr Hilton van Wyk (Mary Waters Secondary School), Mr Radio Mcuba (Kutliso Daniels Secondary School), Mr Thobile Ncula (Ntsika Secondary School), and Ms Celeste van Vuuren and Mr Joubert Retief (PJ Olivier High School).
Representatives from our Community Partner NPO GADRA Education, including Dr Ashley Westaway, Babsy Makombe and Phelela Hulu, were also present. Dr Westaway and his team continue to be key to the success of the Nine Tenths Programme.
The annual dinner is organised by RUCE Director Di Hornby and Engaged Citizenry Coordinator Monica Canca who emceed the event.
Ten Years of Nine Tenths
Over the past ten years, the initiative has focused on strengthening academic support systems, mentoring learners, and nurturing closer relationships between the university and local schools. These efforts have been guided by the belief that universities have a responsibility not only to pursue academic excellence but also to contribute meaningfully to the communities they serve.
Since 2015, Rhodes University has intentionally prioritised partnerships with local schools, the Department of Education, and community organisations to address educational inequality in Makhanda.
Central to the initiative has been the conviction that education is one of the most powerful and sustainable drivers of social transformation. The long-term goal has been to ensure that learners growing up in Makhanda see Rhodes University not as a distant aspiration, but as a realistic and attainable pathway.
By strengthening foundational learning and expanding access to higher education, the initiative aims to help break cycles of poverty and create new opportunities for families and communities.
Prof Sizwe Mabizela shared, “The progress we celebrate today is the result of dedication, collaboration, and a steadfast belief that every learner deserves access to quality education.”
Over the past decade, Nine Tenths has had 1278 mentors and 147 student leaders.
Each year, mentors spend 42 hours at the schools.
Over the past ten years, Rhodes students have spent a combined 53 676 hours volunteering in Nine Tenths.