Students from Stellenbosch Medical Campus will embark on a 902km journey from Saturday 1 to Saturday 8 December for the financial freedom of others.
Breda Reed (third-year medical student), Christoff Greyling (second-year medical student), Wonderboy Nkosi (first-year dietetics student), Mias Marais, (third-year medical student) and Luke Titus (second-year medical student) from Tygerberg Medical Campus will cycle from the northern border of South Africa to Tygerberg Medical Campus to raise funds for students who are experiencing financial difficulties.
Reed says they started this initiative because they understand the struggle some students face and want to invest in the future of current and future health practitioners.
The 21-year-old says the aim of this initiative is to create a sustainable fund that will contribute to the students long after they have graduated. The cycling trip is an incentive that is offered to current healthcare professionals and other citizens to unite in this cause to invest in future healthcare professionals by donating towards the Hippocampus Fund.
The funds will be raised and managed by students, in collaboration with Stellenbosch University, and will aim to alleviate the financial stress experienced by medical students on the campus.
He says they wanted to make a small difference and do something extra so they took the time to understand some of the problems their fellow students are faced with.
“Everyone is running the same race, but not everyone has the same starting line. While some of us only have the stress of completing a degree, others also have the burden of financial stress,” he says.
Reed says although students with financial assistance get funding for accommodation, fees, textbooks and food allowances, they don’t get funds for essential items like toiletries, data, transport and even healthcare costs.
He says many students come from rural areas and have to work themselves out of poverty. “Many students have to get a degree or else their whole family will fail. Our sacrifice attached to the initiative is nothing compared to the sacrifice made by some students. We want to create a place where everyone has the same financial freedom to excel,” says Reed.
