HOT 102.7FM's intervention and subsequent airing of her story has resulted in the student being offered employment next year, including the offer of an internship at Volkswagen, the station says.
Born in Limpopo, 23-year-old Phophi Mudau moved away from her village in Venda to pursue her BCom Sciences degree, but her NSFAS funding didn't stretch far enough to cover the last R47 000 needed for her to graduate, adds HOT 102.7FM.
With no financial support from her unemployed mother or estranged father, who left when she was a toddler, Mudau turned to an entrepreneurial solution: selling packets of sweets, sourced from Makro and marketed on Facebook, as a last resort to raise the funds she needs. Her goal was to sell at least 1000 packets before December to close the funding gap, the station says.
The 'Hot Cares Christmas' team sent the station's Head of News, Tara Penny, to Stellenbosch to investigate and break the good news to Mudau, after linking up live with the HOT 1027 Breakfast team of Simon Parkinson, Bunny Majaja and Simon Hill in the studio, the station says.
As part of the 'Hot Cares Christmas', the station will be covering the cost of the remaining balance of her tuition fees, totalling R47 000, enabling her to graduate. HOT 102.7FM says that it will also be covering the cost of getting Mudau's mother and sister to her graduation and providing her with a shopping voucher for her to purchase work outfits for the start of her career.
"Thank you, so, so much," says Mudau. "I can't believe this. What planet are you from? I want to thank you, not only for the financial support, but I'm a person who has been struggling with self-esteem and confidence issues and believing in myself, and I didn't know what taking this step would do. But, with what you've done, I truly believe that nothing will stand in my way in my life."
"Phophi is exactly the type of deserving recipient we love helping with 'Hot Cares Christmas'," says Lloyd Madurai, Managing Director of HOT 102.7FM. "Despite the daunting challenge of raising that remaining money, she made a plan and refused to give up. We believe she's got a bright future and that our gift to her is not a handout, but a sustainable solution and an investment in the future of this country."
The station also raised R27.5-million in just 12 and a half hours at its annual 'Teddython Hot Cares' charity fundraiser in November, ensuring a strong and satisfying end to the year and laying the groundwork for a 2025 full of promise, as HOT 102.7FM approaches its fifth year of being on air, the station concludes.
For more information, visit www.hot1027.co.za. You can also follow HOT 102.7FM on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or on Instagram.
*Image courtesy of contributor