Luthandos University fee block Campaign

My name is Luthando Tshona. I am currently doing a BSc majoring in Environmental and Geographical sciences at the University  of Cape Town. I am naturally a self-driven person and I strongly believe in seeing  everything through.

In 2024 I will not be able to register for my final year due to a fee block for my 2023 academic year. To sustain myself during the year I found a part-time job which was enough to fund all my daily necessities My journey at UCT started with the ambition to one day be part of a community with the drive to find solutions for a sustainable and equitable use of resources in South Africa. My passion for this line of work has been something that had been instilled in me from a tender age. Even though I grew up in a township I had the privilege of learning about different plants, animals and the environment through fun activities such as plant pressing and listening to the atmosphere. With my aunt's help I got to learn to love and appreciate nature and its elements. 

My major obstacle that lead to the loss of my bursary was my mental health. Growing up in a community that is uneducated about mental health issues, the degree to which a person can be affected, and various traumatic experiences(I wish to one day narrate a detailed version of my story), I believe is the main reason I was unaware of the depth of my problem which manifested itself in my academic journey. In 2023 I worked harder to stay in university with the same problems but with more awareness. The lack of resources(financial support) hindered me from getting the professional medical support I believe I need.

 My ambitions haven't changed but instead they have multiplied due to growth and experience and I have told myself time and again that I will not allow any tribulations stand in the way of my success. Beyond getting my degree, I see the need to bring mental health awareness in connection with social and ecological factors to marginalised communities. I have faith that I will be able to see this through and I would greatly appreciate support from everyone reading this. 

Thank you for reading till this point