Sometimes, a glimpse of hope is all that’s needed to change one’s life forever. Nelisa Qomiyana would follow that glimpse into many different worlds, use it to fuel heroic acts and live a life beyond his community’s imaginings:
South Africa (19 October 2023) — A glimpse of hope that’s bright enough to change almost everything in your circumstances might sound like a fairy godmother waving her wand. For Nelisa Qomiyana, the spark of change went something like that, except the magic in question was an invitation.
Before Nelisa’s life-changing spark, his life in Samora Machel was anything but a fairy tale.
The area in Cape Town known for crime and dangerous lifestyles was what a young Nelisa saw around him as his mother, who worked as a housekeeper, worked against the struggle to take care of her family.
“My mom worked as a housekeeper for multiple clients in order to provide for us, and ensure we were able to attend school. In school, I struggled socially as a result of gangsterism in our area. I was also bullied,” shares Nelisa.
But, before the end of Grade 7, Nelisa’s invitation to a better life arrived. This was thanks to the real-life magic of The Kay Mason Foundation, an NPO that for 24 years has committed to changing a single life at a time through providing high school bursaries with a mission that is certainly storybook-worthy—building a fairer world.
Nelisa was accepted for the bursary and soon exchanged the life he knew for one he had only heard about.
Coming to Camps Bay High School was a massive change. For the first time, everything was paid for without question. Uniforms, excursions, school fees, all the things many under the wings of privilege never need to think twice about.
“The KMF offered me a lifeline that changed everything for me and my family. My scholarship opened a world of opportunities to me. They created a space where growth, personal development and education were prioritised.”—Nelisa Qomiyana.
This glimmer of hope through the educational opportunity of a lifetime helped Nelisa give him the chance to shine academically, and after school, he was awarded a bursary to Walter Sisulu University.
It was there that he also got the chance to be a hero for others after successfully preventing the university library from being set ablaze during student protests at the time. Then, he flexed his leadership muscles by jumping in front of blazing tires to talk the protestors into peace.
“I want an Africa that is developed; that has less unemployment, that has less violence, I want a peaceful Africa.”—he shared.
Today, Nelisa is 30, is a graduate and works as a procurement officer for a construction company; both of which are the accumulation of a life trajectory changed by one glimmer of hope.
Nelisa’s story is one of many success stories from the Kay Mason Foundation who have a matric pass rate of 99%, and we as a country have more doctors, lawyers, leaders and even astrophysicists because of their mission.
You can learn more about the Kay Mason Foundation here.
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