Nine of the 11 recipients of the prestigious Frene Ginwala Scholarships at UKZN this year are young women enrolled for Medicine and Pharmacy degrees.
The Scholarship – a prestige entrant equity award given to top Black African women entrants enrolling at the University as new undergraduate students – is named after the first Chancellor of UKZN and a former Speaker of Parliament.
Ms Nonqubeko Zikhali said it felt great to have been awarded the scholarship, which has freed her family of the responsibility of paying her medical tuition fees. ‘My parents were so happy and proud of me when they heard I’d been awarded the scholarship which has encouraged me to work harder and motivated me to put maximum effort into my studies.’
Ms Khanya Mini, who aims to specialise in paediatrics and open her own skills development centre, said she rose above her background through hard work and perseverance, making it to her school’s Dux board and to her District’s top 5. ‘At first it was hard for me to adjust to the new environment and the new way of learning but I made friends and I got constant support and motivation from my family and all this made it easier to face the challenges head on. Highlights for me this year include doing the practical part of my course and our Becoming a Professional (BAP) project where I observed doctors doing consultations, taking patients’ history and also researching the determinants of health.’
‘Forming study groups and supporting each other through this journey really eases the workload,’ said Ms Andiswa Kubheka who wants to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology.
‘I achieved top honours in the King Cetshwayo District with an average mark of 91.625 percent,’ said Ms Nomonde Nxumalo, who was grateful for the scholarship.
Ms Aneziwe Gift said one of her biggest achievements was being selected as an Eastern Cape provincial top achiever in the matric class of 2022.
‘Being awarded the scholarship feels great,’ said Ms Amahle Masikane. ‘It is something I did not expect so I’m very grateful for it. My friends and family were happy for me especially because they saw and witnessed for themselves the effort I had put into studying during my matric year. As for my mother, she was out of this world with excitement and extremely proud of me.’
Ms Lungisile Dlamini, who is enjoying her Pharmacy degree, aims to maintain high grades, despite the challenges presented by studying for the qualification.
Words: Lunga Memela