Helps us go to University

Writing this is Elvira Teixeira Dias born in 1997 April 16th and Celia Timbana born in 1995 May 3rd.

We are seeking financial assistances in pay our University fees for the year 2017. We each need to pay 30% of our fees on registration (20 January)

We completed our secondary education with distinctions in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Geography and Life Orientation at Selelekela Secondary School and Lofentse Girls High School respectively. The University of Johannesburg accepted our applications to study with them in 2017. Elvira is accepted to do a BSc Physical Sciences and Celia is accepted to do B in Optometry.

We are hardworking black women who want to empower themselves through education. Your generosity will help us further our education, donations of any amount would be of great help towards us reaching our goal of raising $ 9 000 for the 2017 academic year.

We do not qualify for South African bursaries as we do not have South African identity books, although we were born in South Africa. Our parents did not register our birth with Home Affairs,thus making us South African by birth and Mozambican by nationality. We cannot go to a Mozambican university because we cannot speak, nor read and write Portuguese. Since we went to school in South Africa, our first language is IsiZulu and our second language is English. We are in desperate need of funding in order to achieve our dreams of being qualified educated women who will, in turn, be able to give back to our society.

When we finished matric in 2014, Elvira was awarded a bursary the Gauteng City Region Academy for her outstanding academic results, but could not claim it because she does not have South African identity books. Celia was amongst the Top 5 Achievers of Lofentse Girls High School, and was accepted at Wits for Biological studies, at UCT for Biochemistry and at UJ for Environmental Studies to study in 2015 but could not pursue any of these academic programmes for the same reasons.

During the 2 years after we completed our matric, we volunteered at our schools, tutoring Maths and Physical Science during weekends. We also tried applying for citizenship without any success. We approached our counsellor, Gladys Khoza, social workers from Philani Community Development Centre and our primary school teachers to assist in the matter but all failed.

We have concluded that this should no longer be a hindrance for us to pursue our dreams. We are fighting for education against all odds, despite our poor backgrounds and not having graduates in our families.

We kindly ask you to fund us or refer us to the relevant people who will be willing to help make our dreams come true.

Sincerely,

Celia and Elvira