Kovsies BAcc student; Lebohang Ntoli understands the complex domain students step into when they kick off at university.

Faced with a number of challenges that include adjusting to freedom, stepping up academically, and being able to navigate and prioritise your social life with your emotional and mental health, students are at risk of feeling discouraged, confused and fearful. However, being afflicted by financial constraints where tuition fees and study material are concerned is undoubtedly one of the most disheartening feelings a first-year student is forced to deal with - and Lebohang understands this.

She says: “Everyone deserves at least one shot at life,” and has taken it upon herself to donate all her first-year textbooks to a student who she felt was deserving.

Lebohang explains that her actions were sparked by her encounter with a female student in December 2017 who had opened up to her about not being able to meet the financial demands that awaited her in January 2018.

This motivated Lebohang to want to help as many students as she could. She then took to social media to express her concerns for first-year students. At the time the topic of first-years had accumulated a lot of momentum because of their concerns regarding university and how to prepare for it. Through this Lebohang was able to attract attention to her tweets which enabled her to find the deserving candidate for her textbooks.

Students who are interested in textbook donations can contact Elizabeth Msadu, who is in charge of the Hand-to-Hand Foundation at the UFS Health and Wellness Centre on +27 51 401 9600.