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Stories and Pictures
FOM wins prestigious Impumelelo Platinum Award
The Friends of Mosvold Scholarship Scheme (FOMSS) from the Umkhanyakude district in Kwa Zulu Natal won the top Platinum Award from the Impumelelo Innovations Award Trust in Cape Town’s City Hall on the 17 May 2008.
The annual awards recognise and celebrate the solutions to the country’s public service delivery issues. One such challenge is the retention and recruitment of professional health care staff in rural and poverty-stricken regions, which the FOM Scholarship Schemeaddresses.
In the words of top US Democratic Superdelegate and Impumelelo Awards, keynote speaker, Prof. Elaine Kamarck, “tonight is about celebrating what’s going right in South Africa”. 
Five innovative projects from the province were awarded either Platinum, Gold, Silver or Star awards, selected out of more than 130 project hopefulsfrom across South Africa. The annual awards recognise and celebrate the solutions to the country’s public service delivery issues. One such challenge is the retention and recruitment of professional health care staffin rural and poverty-stricken regions, which the FOM Scholarship Scheme addresses through their selection, training and supporting of rural youth in the Umkhanyakude district of Northern Kwa Zulu Natal.
The FOM Scholarship Scheme is making a meaningful change to health services in rural areas by assisting local youth to receive tertiary level training in the field of health sciences which ultimately improves local people’s access to adequate health care. The scheme offers local students from the Umkhanyakude District bursaries in the medical profession, on condition that they use their newly found skills to work in hospitals in their area. The FOM Scholarship Scheme was one of nine projects who received the Platinum Award of R50 000 sponsored by Media24, which is to be used to further promote their work.
Dr Andrew Ross, founder of the Friends of Mosvold Scholarship Scheme, received the award on behalf of the organisation. Over the FOM Scholarship Scheme’s short history more than 100 rural youth have been afforded the opportunity to study a health science degree whilst 43 graduates, in a range of health science disciplines have been produced and are currently working at one of the 5 hospitals in the Umkhanyakude district or completing their internship training. The Scheme is supporting 60 students this year and plans to increase the number of students it supports each year and ultimately expand the Scheme to other areas of Kwa Zulu Natal and even other Provinces.
The Impumelelo Awards Trust is unique in that it is independent of government and the winners are chosen after careful extensive evaluations and site visits by a team of expert evaluators
From Construction Site to Consulting Room 
Dr Patrick Ngwenya, was born and raised by his mother in the rural area of Manguzi. Patrick did his schooling locally at the Mfihlewni primary school and Shayina High School. Shayina High School had approximately 1 500 learners and 3 classes per grade resulting in 100 pupils per class. The school had only 6-8 qualified teachers– the other teachers only had a Grade 12 (Matric). Not all subjects such as Mathematics and Physical Science had specialized teachers, which ultimately impacted on his Matric results. In Grade 10 Patrick was dreaming of becoming an engineer.
In 1997, after completing school and not having the money to register at University, Patrick’s neighbour who was an unqualified bricklayer, offered him an opportunity to work with him. Earning R15 a day, Patrick managed to take home R450-500 per month. He used some money to apply for piped water to their house, because they were fetching water from a brook 1hour’s walk from home.
One day, working on the building site Patrick contemplated his life and realized that there must be more to his life than this. He knew he had more potential than what he was using and decided to enroll at the University of Zululand. Due to his poor Matric results, his options were limited and he was grateful to be accepted to study a B Sc Biological Science. Patrick obtained 7 distinctions from 1st to 3rd year, and was awarded a certificate for Best performing student.
Patrick shares that studying towards his B Sc was hard, not only academically but financially as well. In order to get registered he borrowed R2 000 from a church friend and used the little that he had saved to pay rent for a few months. He applied for a student loan called NSFAS which he received. Due to his excellent academic performance he became a Tutor and also worked part time in the Department of Zoology sorting research samples – these two jobs gave him an income which enabled him to survive. Most of the Research assistance, in the Zoology department was done during holidays – and so he only had 2 weeks a year at home.
Having completed his B Sc, Patrick was inspired to study medicine and applied to the University of Kwa Zulu Natal, and due to his good results was accepted and started in 2003. In 2007, he completed his training and started his internship at Prince Mshiyeni hospital in Durban. He shares that his experience so far has been wonderful, especially pediatrics and enthusiastically admits he would consider specializing in it. Watching Dr Patrick Ngwenya at work, it is clearly evident that he loves being a doctor as can be seen by his broad smile, an inner peace, and the obvious love he has for his patients.
Patrick was one of the precious diamonds uncovered by the Friends of Mosvold Scholarship Scheme – there are many more – some are in the process of being discovered, others are being refined whilst others still need to be found – this is the motivation for the FOM Scholarship Scheme !
Graduation Celebrations
On the 15 May, three of the FOM Scholarship Scheme students graduated at the University of Zululand on 15 May. They are: 
- Bongumusa Mngomezulu who graduated as a professional nurse and was awarded his degree with a first class pass. He is working at Bethesda hospital
- Phindile Ndlovu who graduated as a professional nurse and is working at Mosvold hospital
- Nobhule Mpanza who graduated as a social worker and is working at Mosvold hospital
It was a wonderful ceremony and all three had their families present to witness history being made in that they are first in their families to attend and graduate from University. Their influence over the youth as positive role models cannot be underestimated – Nobhule’s brother enrolled this year at the University of Zululand to become a teacher.We thank the hospital for providing transport for the families to attend
Earlier in the year Wiseman Nene graduated as a Physiotherapist from the University of Kwa Zulu Natal. Witnessing him receiving his degree, it was obvious that he has left a mark in the hearts of many at the University Kwa Zulu Natal, Durban Westville campus.
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