Makes me all proud

It helps when you're receiving well over a million, but a feel good story none-the-less...

Charity starts at Rhodes
University’s new boss takes pay cut to sponsor students

"NEWLY installed Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor Saleem Badat is taking a R200,000 pay cut to put five needy and deserving students through university each year.

Badat has set up a fund named after Rhodes University chancellor, Professor Jakes Gerwel, to provide five full scholarships to local candidates on the basis of academic potential and financial need. He announced the fund at his recent inauguration, saying it would provide for students whose aspirations are limited by social status.

The event was attended by Education Minister Naledi Pandor, who noted that Rhodes had the second poorest equity profile of all universities in the country last year. Based on its history and reputation, the university could continue “to take the cream of the crop of well-prepared matriculants and leave the challenge of dealing with the legacy of educational disadvantaged to others”, she said, but added: “I very much doubt if Saleem has come to Rhodes to do that!”

Rhodes University spokesperson Natasha Joseph said Badat’s generous offer of support to local beneficiaries underlined his intention to work with the Grahamstown and Eastern Cape communities. “It is a very practical, very real step to get in there and make a difference,” said Joseph.

Badat declined to reveal how much the donation represented of his total salary. But while negotiating his package, university spokesperson Guy White said it fell well within Higher Education South Africa’s guidelines of between R1,1 million and R1,7m..."

Daily Dispatch