The Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust (CRET) is an education trust/bursary that caters for students in need of financial help in order to help them further their studies. The bursary was first formed by founder and the now president of South Africa Mr Cyril Ramaphosa in 2004, and was known as Shanduka Foundation. The bursary now supports about 100 students financially from tuition fees to books, and a monthly allowance.
Eunice Sibongile Chiwaya is a student at the Nelson Mandela University studying a BA degree majoring in Anthropology and Psychology. She has an award for hard work from her primary school, and she is a member of the Golden Key international Honour Society at the university. She is a CRET student , and she was awarded an award for overall achiever in her category at award ceremony in early July this year.
WHERE DID YOU FIRST LEARN OR HEAR ABOUT CRET?
I first found out about the CRET bursary when I was at high school. I was chosen as one of the students that will be sponsored by the bursary. I then decided to do some research about the bursary, and I found out that this was a bursary that was founded by the President, Mr Ramaphosa plus it helped children from poor backgrounds.
WHAT DOES CRET MEAN TO YOU?
As you know that CRET stands for Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust and it is a bursary that is given to students who are from underprivileged homes and rural areas, it is also awarded to students who excel academically. CRET for me is an amazing bursary and it means a lot to me for what they have been doing for me can not be put into words. For the past year they paid for my tuition and allowance not forgetting that they bought books for me as well so yeah they are the best.
WHAT HAS CRET DONE FOR YOU?
CRET has done a lot for me, from giving me the actual bursary, they paid for my residence last year as well as giving me monthly allowances. The bursary pays for my tuition obviously and books as well. CRET really caters for their students in so many ways that one can not imagine, not only do they give us bursaries but that take of us mentally, physically and emotionally as well. All our needs are taken care of.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE CRET?
CRET for me is amazing, it is not just another bursary it is a family, because of the way they care for us as their students and the love they show us. So it is extraordinary.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING A CRET STUDENT?
There are quite a lot of benefits from CRET, besides the fact that it is not a loan, we are taken on vacations twice a year, we are given mentors. There are always different team building activities on every vacation. We get to see the president and the first lady every time, there are awards every year for our academic performance. We get to visit the president’s farm once a year and go on game drives and have lots of fun. We also get to do some community service every year which is great because it is giving back to the community.
WOULD YOU ADVICE ANYONE TO BE APART OF CRET WHY/WHY NOT?
Yes absolutely because they would not only receive the love that comes with the bursary, but they will get to experience the joy and the benefits that the other students and I get. One of the greatest benefits of bursary is that they help you get a job after you finish your studies.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE MEETING THE PRESIDENT FOR THE FIRST TIME?
It was amazing, it was such a breathe taking moment, but at the same time it felt right because the president does not regard us as just children from poor backgrounds, but he sees us as his children hence I said we are a family at CRET.
WHEN DID YOU JOIN THE CRET FAMILY?
I joined CRET in January last year and it was my first year at varsity. But this was after I applied through my high school in 2017.
IS IT GREAT TO BE A PART OF THE CRET FAMILY?
Yes very much so, because they do not put pressure on you as a student. They encourage us as students to work hard and have fun while at it, plus there are gifts and prizes for those that perform the best.
BETWEEN CRET AND NSFAS WHICH ONE DO YOU PREFARE?
CRET for obvious reasons, but NSFAS also helps students further their studies in their own way and I respect that. Plus it has been there for longer than CRET has been, and now it being a bursary has opened doors for more students to study knowing that they do not have loan to pay back once they start working, and that is beneficial for its recipients.
HOW WAS IT WHEN YOU FIRST JOINED CRET?
It was a bit scary and nerve wrecking to be honest, but I managed to get used to the new environment and the people who are so amazing, as a person it was really easy for me get ” comfortable” to the surroundings once I got used to the people.
IS IT TRUE THAT CRET CELEBRATED 15 YEARS OF EXISTANCE?
Yes it is , and we got to celebrate it at the president’s farm in Limpopo during the first week of July this year and we got such amazing souvenirs that marked the 15 years of CRET supporting students.
Lilac 