The Faculty of Health Sciences' Health Sciences Student Council (HSSC) of 2025-2026 at the University of Cape Town (UCT) hosted a special reception to thank donors who had contributed to the revitalisation of the Mayosi Impilo Bursary Fund — an FHS funding mechanism that supports academically deserving students who find themselves in a state of financial hardship and are unable to pay their fees.

Recognising that too many capable students are barred from registering for their courses in February each year due to fee debt, the 2025-2026 HSSC acted. The Student Council initiated the HSSC Fundraising Committee and, through sustained action, revived the Mayosi Impilo Bursary Fund. This strategy entailed proactive advocacy, developing new partnerships, and strengthening existing relationships with donors.

The 2025-2026 HSSC therefore hosted this function to thank compassionate donors for their generosity, which made it possible for several students between 2025 and 2026 to continue their studies and advance towards becoming the healthcare professionals the nation needs.

The appreciation event, held at the Neuroscience Institute in Groote Schuur Hospital, opened with an introduction from Rahul Rama-Panchia, the 2025-2026 HSSC deputy chairperson, delivered with touches of humour.

Following this, Professor Lionel Green-Thompson, the dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences; Mr Vincent Motholo, the chief financial officer at UCT; and Associate Professor Tracey Naledi, the deputy dean for social accountability and health systems in the FHS at UCT, thanked donors for seeing the potential in those facing financial barriers and for offering them their dignity back.

Though other funding mechanisms exist and there have been renewed attempts over the years to ease the burden of fee debt, the problem, regrettably, persists, explained Kwandiso Ngubane, the 2025-2026 HSSC chairperson. A host of factors could explain this: university operating costs surge; a student’s financial standing abruptly changes due to factors beyond their control; the cost of housing, food and transport increases; or existing funding schemes dissolve. 

These incidents have a profound impact on students whose families cannot support them financially. Without the intervention of philanthropists, promising careers are disrupted. The philanthropists in the room had therefore contributed enormously to the long-term development of South Africa's future healthcare professionals. 

Attendees were subsequently treated to a musical item by the FHS orchestra, which was a dazzling showcase of talent and hard work.

The undoubted highlight of the event followed: a panel discussion featuring three students who had directly benefited from the Mayosi Impilo Fund. The students candidly spoke about how the donors' selflessness had impacted their lives. It was not merely financial oppression that was eased; their ability to study and graduate was restored. 

The occasion stood as a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when students, faculty leadership and donors unite around a shared purpose: keeping promising careers from being thwarted by financial circumstances.