"Searching for funding in unexpected places"

Good day, my name is Cornelius Mashele, and first of all would like to take this opportunity to show some gratitude towards the anonymous investor in collaboration with the potential seeking scouts to have put such an initiative in motion it shows how the management together with our fellow student understand the main problem in a student life and how determined they are in easing these financial constraints.

I'm honored to be part of such an initiative, even though I may not be from a priority programme as teachers hasn't been named or categories as playing a pivotal role in the society which is sad or a registered student currently, due to the major issue of financial constraints.

I just hope I still stand a chance as I had to take a gap year and my degree is slowly slipping away and I am someone who has been taking care of myself and my father who stays with me as a single parents and is unemployed, had to be strong most my life not only for me but for my father too, and due to the issue of poverty a lot has been happening in my life.

I started my degree in 2020 and as much as the situation at home was worse it became even more worse with the aftermath of Covid 19 and because of the situation at home I had to even fall behind with my studies making it seems as if I lack competence and to be part of large institutional community that inspire excellence it did take a toll in my overall self-concept but because I inspire to be a lifelong learner, I managed to include myself in programmes and read books that deal with self-development which has now became a purpose of mine in this line of education, striving towards finding balance in all aspects of life, mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually,

because I believe healed people heal others, and knowing that there are many factors that can hinder a student from performing in his or her full potential like traumatic experiences, abandonment issues, poverty such that can cause one to seek outside validation and result in attention seeking and neglecting his studies,

some results in substance abuse to mend or hide such insecurities and as someone who has been a victim of such myself and managed to heal myself it has given me such a purpose to relief others too because this factors also affects the way your mind works operating in a scarcity mindset believing the is less and always projecting towards others negatively, your flaws, insecurities and having a bad attitude,

well I am someone in need financially however mentally, emotional and spiritual, I have grown, such experiences

have taught me a lot about myself and adopted a growth mindset always looking for the lesson

in any situation I face and always looking for different perspectives in ideas keeping the

always learning something way of thinking and always striving and looking for new ways to

grow, learnt a lot of skills like creative writing, motivational speaking, communicating skills,

critical thinking skills, problem solving skill , sign language and healing mechanism (alchemy). I am someone who has been discarded, rejected, betrayed, abused especially by the ones meant to protect and support me,

but now I understand that hurt people hurts others.

Hence although I have been in poverty I didn’t allow to identify with it and act as a victim

but I was a seed a bamboo tree seed, which has grown in the dark for a very long time,

abandonment, lost, wounded, and discarded, so when I saw this initiative that seek to plant a seed it did

resonate with me as I know how hard a seed take root in the darkness, isolated and with no

assistance nor someone who you can use for guidance it becomes even harder.

so I believe in empowerment especially since I chose this self development journey to make a

difference my self, once you heal yourself, you heal the whole world and I also believe in

upliftment, empowerment and so for a very long time I have been searching for a group who can see my

value as I did all this healing by myself and the were lot of reason I could have quitted but i

remain committed to the journey and learnt to be patience, resilient, to persevere, about

integrity, leadership qualities, morals, boundaries, and I inspire to create an environment build

with empathy, trust, compassion and understanding.

so this initiation may not waste its

resources by empowering someone like me and I believe by the initiative choosing someone

like me not only would it have found a seed to water and cultivate but will also be giving

someone who has been fighting for his life an opportunity to experience life in a new way, a

way of ease not which I believe it resonate with me now as I have been digging deep within

myself trying find myself and have realized I am a healer and a natural born healer, one that

can soothe others emotional, mentally, physically and spiritually.

NSH also played a role in my life, and it made me to continue to work on myself and not just

give up, like what I heard to never despise small beginnings, have been writing novels, short

stories and even the ICAN from school I use to submit some short stories but I inspire to write my own

book about my healing journey, self development one which I believe many will learn a lot

from it especially those who are struggling not only financial but emotionally, mentally and

physically and now am looking forward to finding my luck with the Initiative,

and I believe luck is when opportunity meets preparation. I would like to believe I am more

than prepared.

I am so very grateful for such a chance and for the management and our fellow student to

have created as an initiative it shows how everyone is willing to make a difference and

individuals who are malicious and vicious don't stand a chance in destroying students life

rather everyone inspire to empower and uplift.

so I am really honored and I hope my

application would be considered and the result would be a relief to my ongoing financial

struggle but also not forgetting that my programme is not of priority and I am not currently

registered, however I understand teachers are the foundation of education and they are the

one who tend to plant the seed and water it until it blossom to such incredible graduate that

we tend to be proud of,

its a shame since not everything people tend to advertise about values, morals, principles and ethics normal isn't the case however Cornelius had to learn this the hard way especially since not everyone who seek to help really mean to but this is a story of a young boy who pour out everything he believes and has attained in his experiences and continue to hope for real individuals who can identify potential and development in everyday life challenges and seek to want to put himself in others shoes however most individuals are big on throwing away big words but not being about it, not practicing what they preach. well its sad however all hope is not lost as there are people like me who are thriving in making amends in the society to assist as I know how it feels like to have been a victim of injustices, who knows maybe I have been created for such a time as this to be pillar of those in need of assistance.