By: Chubeka Kulu
Hluma Xako was drawn to Computer Science because she found it a “beautifully complex” subject, one that invited her to look deeper, to understand not just how computers function, but also how they quietly power the systems that shape our everyday lives. Her academic journey reflects both curiosity and purpose: a desire to master the technical, while also understanding its impact on people and institutions.
Choosing Rhodes University felt natural. Rooted in Makhanda, surrounded by family, and following in the footsteps of her parents, who are alumni, Hluma’s path to Rhodes University was both personal and intentional. It was a place where she felt she belonged.
But belonging did not make the journey easy. Behind the quiet determination was a reality marked by “incredible financial challenges”, a burden Hluma carried every single year. There was no certainty, only persistence. Registration fees loomed, transport costs mounted, and the question of accommodation remained uncertain. Each academic year came with the same silent question: Will I be able to continue?
The weight of that uncertainty is something many students carry, but few speak about. Support from BANK SETA became more than funding; it became a turning point. It allowed Hluma to continue when stopping felt like a real possibility. Most importantly, it enabled her to secure residence late in her final year, a shift that brought not just physical relief, but emotional and mental ease.
For the first time, she could focus fully. No exhausting commutes. No constant disruption. Just the space to learn, to breathe, and to finish. “Completing this degree is quite honestly a miracle,” she reflects. And it is. Because behind that achievement is a story of endurance, of pushing through uncertainty, and of choosing to continue, again and again, despite the odds.
Through these experiences, Hluma has grown into someone more resilient, more confident, and deeply aware of what it took to get here. Becoming a graduate is not just a personal milestone; it is a moment of pride for her family and a powerful reminder of what is possible when support meets determination.
Next, she will pursue an Honours degree in Computer Science, moving closer to her long-term goal of working as a remote software developer, building solutions that not only drive business success but make a meaningful difference in the world. For Hluma, opportunity is no longer an abstract idea. It is the difference between stopping and continuing between potential waiting and potential realised.
With this understanding, her vision for the future extends beyond herself. She hopes to give back by supporting her family and, in time, mentoring students in Makhanda who face the same barriers she once did. Her journey does not end at graduation; it expands into purpose.
To the donors and partners who walked this journey with her, Hluma shares a message of deep gratitude. Their support did more than fund a degree; it changed the trajectory of her life. It brought stability in moments of uncertainty and enabled her to reach this milestone.
And her story is not unique. There are many students like Hluma, capable, determined, and full of promise, whose journeys are shaped not by a lack of ability but by a lack of resources.
When you give, you do more than support a student. You protect a dream.
You sustain possibility. You help ensure that potential does not go unrealised.