Oasis: ‘We’ll give you bursary, but you’ll have to do your bit’

Students who received bursaries from the Oasis bursary programme will have to pay it back someday so the money can help others who come after them, writes an Al Qalam Correspondent.

Twenty nine “hard-working achievers” were awarded bursaries, thanks to the Oasis Crescent Fund Trust “bursary programme 2016”.

Speaking at a special event to hand over the bursaries to the selected students, Chief Executive officer of Oasis, Adam Ebrahim, reiterated that the programme was established to ensure that hardworking students had a good education.

The programme is diverse. Students currently participating in the Oasis Bursary programme are registered at some 39 top universities in the country. Most of the students are studying for degrees in Commerce, Engineering, Law, Health Science, Social Sciences and Management Studies.

The bursary includes the payment of all tuition fees, providing students with equipment, mentorship, vacation or full-time work and a volunteer service to give back. But there is one main proviso: After graduation, and when they are gainfully employed, they are obliged to repay the bursary so that others could benefit from the money.

The concept of giving back is at the heart of the programme. Giving back is one of the cornerstones of the legacy that Oasis leaves behind. The concept is part of the company’s social responsibility programme in which applicants become part of the programme. The trust aims to improve the lives of its applicants but in turn they should assist in improving the lives of the community, Ebrahim said.

“The bursary scheme is here to improve the quality of life and will leave no one behind. The social responsibilities of employees go to old age homes and orphanages. We encourage our recipients to give back to the community and build a strong society,” Ebrahim added.

However, Oasis expects their bursary holders to adhere to the terms of the bursary by maintaining the high standards set by the company and fulfilling their responsibilities.

By offering accessible and affordable education to the youth, the company assists in improving the quality of their academic performance.

Many students are financially constrained which is hampering their studies.

“Debt is at the heart of education. It affects education. If students don’t have money, then they start to worry about it and they cannot focus on their academics. Many young people leave school to hoping to go to university but they do not have the money for it. They cannot get jobs at companies as they have such big debt and they have to pay it back to the institution. We don’t want students to have that burden as no student should have debt,” says Ebrahim.

Despite supporting FeesMustFall protest, the Trust condemns university violence. The CEO reminisced about liberation struggles he experienced while completing his degree under an Apartheid government. Although he acknowledged it was a time when resources were not as accessible to him as most people of colour, he got through it through perseverance.

“We are strongly against violent acts,” he said.

Oasis is a wealth management market which operates on a global scale. The trust that was launched 90 year ago deals with asset management, financial management, product offering, education policy, investment scheme, retirement scheme and endowment products. Oasis Global Reach includes the U.K, Ireland, SA, Switzerland, Malaysia and Singapora.

One bursary recipient, Zakiyya Stellenboom, who took a gap year to do Islamic Studies, said she was extremely grateful for her bursary. “It was just so difficult to get a bursary at universities. You either too rich to qualify for NSFAS or you have to live on the street to get funding. So I feel fortunate,” says Zakiyya Stellenboom.

The bursary programme for 2017 opens in September 2016.

Check out the link on: http://alqalam.co.za/?p=2716

BY: Al-Qalam