TSBDi and Belgravia High School empower youth through higher education access workshop

The Thelma Susan Block Dumas Institute (TSBDi), in collaboration with Belgravia High School, hosted a one-day higher education access workshop at Belgravia High School in Athlone.

On Saturday, September 27, the workshop guided more than 500 pupils and unemployed youth from the Cape Flats through the process of applying to universities, TVET colleges, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Participants received practical support to complete applications that are often barriers to further study.

“Each year, thousands of young people across the Cape Flats and South Africa miss out on higher education opportunities - not due to a lack of ability, but because they don’t have the guidance or resources to navigate the application systems,” said TSBDi CEO Keith Karl Dumas.

Since its launch on June 16, 2014, TSBDi has helped more than 500 young people - 70% of them young women - secure places in higher education. Among its success stories are two young women, one from Hanover Park and the other from Manenberg, who are now studying Medicine at Stellenbosch University, he said.

The initiative came as many communities continued to face deepening challenges, including gang violence that disrupts access to education. By consolidating support into one transport-assisted event, TSBDi removed barriers and connected hundreds more young people to opportunities, he said.