Every January, KHULA brings its university scholars together, and it is one of the most important moments in the year. For a few days, young people who have travelled very different paths find themselves back in the same room; reconnecting, reflecting, and preparing for what lies ahead.
For the first-generation university students KHULA supports, the transition from rural KwaZulu-Natal to a large city campus is profound. It brings opportunity and excitement, but also pressure, isolation, and the challenge of finding belonging in unfamiliar spaces. Academic success matters deeply, but experience has shown that it is only one part of what young people need in order to thrive.
KHULA’s annual scholars workshop is designed to hold that full picture. It is a space to check in on academic progress, but also to speak openly about mental health, stress, confidence, identity and the unspoken realities of adapting to a new world. Scholars share their experiences honestly – what has been harder than expected, what they are proud of, and what they are still figuring out.
Just as importantly, the workshop reinforces the role these young people are beginning to play beyond campus. As first-generation university students, they are the first in their families, and sometimes their villages, to navigate higher education. Their presence at university sends a powerful signal back home: that rural talent belongs in these spaces, and that the path forward is possible.
They become reference points for siblings, cousins, classmates and neighbours. Education begins to feel tangible rather than abstract and in this way, individual progress becomes collective momentum.
KHULA’s role is to guide and nurture future leaders; young people who can hold complexity, speak with confidence about their journeys, and use their experiences to lift others. By supporting scholars through moments of transition KHULA helps ensure that success does not end with personal achievement, but translates into leadership and example.
The scholars workshop is a reminder that when one young person moves forward, whole communities take notice.
We are deeply grateful to The Coca-Cola Foundation and Madrinha Trust for their partnership and belief in these young people. Their support makes it possible for KHULA to invest in bright academic futures and in the confidence, wellbeing and leadership that allow young people to shape their own futures and inspire others to follow.
