Not everyone has the same opportunity to obtain a good education and the reasons are numerous and complex – it is truly a wicked problem. Socio-economic issues are critical but even if we somehow took away the financial aspect and all had access to a tertiary education, there are a myriad of underlying challenges that would work against students being able to successfully complete any qualification.

Although we recognise that no one organisation has the capacity and capability of solving this problem ; the Guilford Dialogue on this topic has helped us to recognise that we, Mashauri, are in a unique position to at least be one of the many players who might somehow play a role in addressing some of the issues. In the words of Edward Everett Hale:
“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.”

Our view is that entrepreneurship is a potentially vital force that not only can create for-profit business ventures, but can also produce sustainable organisations that address social issues. Furthermore, this generation of University students have the capability and outlook to be the drivers of social change in the future. We would like to harness this capacity to begin thinking about the education inclusion issue.

Early in 2020 we recognised that COVID19 (as we all called it then) was going to make a terrible impact on the world in so many ways and we challenged South African students to think of ways of addressing some of the problems that would result from the pandemic. We ran a program for 250 students where we taught them the basics of entrepreneurship and helped them develop new venture ideas around the problem. Those that showed promise were then given further support in refining their solution and developing it further in a virtual incubator.

Kyle Farmbry’s Guilford Dialogues in 2023 which is focussed on this very issue, have catalysed us to consider running a program, similar to the COVID program but around educational inclusion. Mashauri will be represented by Clint Davies at the Guilford’s Dialogues and he has been tasked with the idea of refining this idea further. We have learned a lot in the years since the COVID19 program and are even better prepared to take on an initiative such as this.

We are committed to making this happen and will do so regardless. However, if we are able to find a number of other players who would like to become involved, we would have the ability to increase the scope and impact of this initiative. There will be a number of benefits to involvement with this program beyond making a difference in the world including branding and opportunities for staff to get hands-on involvement.

If you are interested, please reach out to myself (simon.gifford@mashauri.org) or Clint (clint.davies@mashauri.org).