Bursary recipient, Chrismarelle De Hart (40), is currently in her second year of a Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase, which she hopes to complete in 2025.
Her dedication to her studies extends beyond her goal to improve her own life, but to helping others in her community of Humansdorp as well.
Chrismarelle dreams of one day opening a special needs school in Humansdorp, which currently doesn’t have an education facility for children who are in need of special care.
“I chose the foundation phase because I love working with little ones. Children are like clay in your hands that you can mould. There is so much you can teach them. Eventually, my goal is to study further in child psychology and remedial teaching so that children with learning disabilities are able to receive quality education specific to their needs,” said Chrismarelle.
The 40-year-old mother of two discovered her love for teaching later in life after some personal trials and tribulations.
She has always had a passion for helping people, with an initial interest in nursing, and thanks to the bursary she received from Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm, Chrismarelle can fulfil her desire to help and care for others.
“We appreciate seeing our bursary students focused on their studies and committed to making a difference in their communities, which is what the programme is all about.
“The core objective of this initiative is to provide graduates with an opportunity to gain a tertiary education, with the hope that once qualified, they will plough their skills back into the community,” said Tsholofelo Moote, Economic Development Specialist for Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm.
Chrismarelle is one of over 20 locals who have benefitted from the Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm Bursary Programme over the last 18 months.
The programme, which covers tuition fees, travel and accommodation costs, book allowances and even a stipend, is open to ambitious locals in the communities of Hankey, Patensie, Ocean View, Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp.
“In the past, registering each year for the course was challenging due to financial restrictions. Now that the bursary is in place, I no longer see ‘financial restriction’ or ‘financially declined’ on my results report, but rather ‘passed with distinction’,” concluded Chrismarelle.