It is inspiring to see students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds benefit from mutual collaboration and efforts between organisations and institutions, such as the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and Fujitsu South Africa; partnerships which empower them to do better for themselves and others in their communities.
This was the sentiment at the event UJ Alumni hosted to hand over twenty new laptops, sponsored by Fujitsu South Africa, to well-deserving second-year UJ students at ABZ Holdings, which took place on Friday, 14 February 2014 at the School of Tourism and Hospitality (STH) on the Auckland Park Bunting Road Campus.
The Alumni Office, together with Fujitsu, teamed up with ABZ Holdings, a non-profit organisation founded by an alumnus of UJ, to present the students each with their own laptops equipping and empowering them as they endeavor to excel in their Information Technology studies and better their communities and fellow students.
ABZ Holdings is a company of young social entrepreneurs that look at big challenges facing their communities and come up with innovative ideas on how to address those challenges. The NGO offers to students at UJ practical training in Information and Communication Technology, Engineering and Business Studies.
Mr Quentin Schots, Managing Director of Fujitsu South Africa and the keynote speaker for the event, expressed how Fujitsu identifies strongly with UJ’s values and drive towards global excellence, research and innovation.
According to UJ alumnus and CEO of ABZ Holdings, Mr Bongani Zwane, this year the goal for the organisation is to see through to graduation those students who will be the first in their homes to successfully complete their tertiary studies.
“Some of these students come from homes where they will be the first graduate in their households, and those are the things that move us as social entrepreneurs. Our campaign this year is “One Graduate, One Household”. Education is the key message that we’re trying to push this year, and together with UJ Alumni we’ll work together to see what we can come up with as young people of South Africa”, said Zwane.
To cement the partnership, Mr Milcho Damianov, Executive Director: Institutional Advancement and Mr Schots signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which will see Fujitsu and UJ continue to partner in the future to support initiatives such as those at ABZ Holdings.