Inaugural Jimmy Nevis Bursary winner

From L-R: Vincent Fraser, Jimmy Nevis, Savannah Marney, Christina Watson, and Marius du Plessis

Nevis' brainchild and passion project, the Blue Collar Foundation, looks to inspire change and create opportunity for South Africa's youth, allowing them to reach beyond the limits of their socio-economic backgrounds.

Recognising the necessity for this kind of assistance, Via Afrika has undertaken to donate R20,000 towards the Jimmy Nevis Bursary recipient's undergraduate studies during the student's second year and again R20,000 toward the student's study fees in the third year, on condition that the student achieve performance requirements.

Christina Watson, CEO of Via Afrika says, "As it is, getting into a tertiary institution is difficult enough. This is only compounded if socio-economic realities were stacked against you throughout your life. Having overcome all those challenges, finances should not be yet another barrier to further education.

"The humanities teach us how to think creatively and critically, to reason and ask questions. These skills can give new insights into everything from poetry, to economics, and politics. Solutions to the myriad challenges South Africa faces may very well be found in a learner looking to get into this field of study. As such we are happy and grateful to be afforded the opportunity to make this contribution to The Blue Collar Foundation's Jimmy Nevis Bursary."

Career app assists learning direction

Jimmy Nevis is now an ambassador for the Via Afrika CareerCompass app, a free app from the Google Store, which can assist learners and school-leavers decide which career path might best suit them, and how to get there.

Nevis says, "For understandable reasons, throughout a child's school-going years and particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, the primary focus is to get them to pass matric and into a tertiary institution. This is seen as a path out of poverty and a track to a better future. The downside, however, is that this blind focus on that one track fails to account for what happens after you achieve it, or if you do not achieve it.

"If you do achieve this goal without the proper guidance that CareerCompass can provide, a tertiary experience can turn out to be a wasted opportunity studying towards a career you do not enjoy or love. Additionally, for the many learners for whom attending a tertiary institution is not a possibility, the app can also assist in guiding them towards other paths they can take."