In communities where violence, uncertainty and limited opportunity too often shape young people’s daily realities, a quiet, powerful partnership has emerged in Gqeberha between Nelson Mandela University and Gelvandale High School.
Called the Gelvandale High School Matric Project, it demonstrates how meaningful partnerships between a university and its surrounding communities can help pupils achieve futures beyond their circumstances.
Lynn Schoeman, a lecturer in applied accounting at NMU, is the guiding force behind the project, which emerged from her desire to give back to Gelvandale High, where she matriculated in 1998.
“When I was a learner there, things were tough, but there was a sense of community and support.
“When I visited the school again in 2023 for a Mandela Day initiative, I could not believe how much the school had changed,” she said.
The principal at the time shared a troubling reality.
“Many matrics were struggling to prepare for their final exams in an environment where the safety of learners even at school could not be guaranteed. Some even feared going to school,” Schoeman said.
Gelvandale is notorious for gang violence.
In response, NMU launched the project in 2023, opening its campus as a safe learning space for pupils during the crucial weeks leading up to their exams.
That year, the first group of 46 matriculants came to campus for a series of structured study sessions.
For the majority, it was their time to step onto a university campus.
The project will take place again this year.
Lecturers from several departments have volunteered their time to assist with subjects such as maths, maths literacy and life sciences — areas where pupils often need additional support.
The programme also included campus tours, visits to the library, and presentations on how to prepare for university.
In 2024, the programme returned stronger and more responsive to the pupils’ needs.
A similar-sized group attended the programme, and this time it doubled down on mathematics support after pupils identified it as a pressing need.
Second-year accountancy diploma students volunteered to teach the pupils, bringing what Schoeman described as “a powerful model of mentorship, with students who are closer in age to the learners, walking with them on the path from matriculation to potential careers”.
The collaboration quickly extended across faculties, with mathematics, life sciences and marketing teams bringing their expertise to address the pupils’ questions.
Importantly, it also addresses barriers that many pupils from under-resourced schools face when navigating the higher education system.
They received guidance on the university application process, their applicant score calculations, and financial support options through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
For Schoeman, the project represents something fundamental about the role universities should play in society.
“When institutions step beyond their walls and into communities, real change becomes possible.
“The impact of the project extends beyond exam preparation.
“By exposing pupils to university life and offering practical support, it helps replace intimidation with aspiration.
“A simple but powerful message captured the spirit of the initiative: ‘I will not allow my current situation to dictate my future’.”
Schoeman recalled her matric years and how she pursued this same message.
Raised by a single mother of four, she grew up in a household where opportunities were limited but determination abundant.
Her parents divorced and money was tight, but she always believed that education could change the trajectory of her life.
“I remember thinking very clearly that this can’t be my future,” she said.
“I wanted something different, and I knew that studying was the only way I could get there.”
Her journey to becoming an academic was far from straightforward.
After school, she pursued bursaries relentlessly. She initially received funding to study at Varsity College through the Ibhayi Trust Fund, but when that funding ran out she faced enormous uncertainty.
Eventually her church helped her secure another opportunity to study information technology.
Along the way she worked in various roles, including as a hospital creditors clerk, while continuing to pursue her ambition to become an accountant.
Her perseverance paid off.
After working at Coca-Cola, where she was offered support for part-time studies, Schoeman eventually completed her master’s degree in cost-and-management accounting, and joined NMU as a lecturer.
“I have always wanted to give back to the Gelvandale community, and this project represents something fundamental about the role of universities to participate in real change in their communities,” she said.
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