For 24-year-old Shaiyene Fritz, the road to graduation has been anything but smooth — but she is refusing to give up.

Born and raised in Lavender Hill, Fritz always knew she wanted to make a difference in children’s lives. “From a young age, I looked up to my teachers,” she said. “They were the ones who supported and encouraged me when life at home was tough.”

Raised by a single mother, Fritz credits her primary school teacher, Ms Stevens, for nurturing her dreams. “She used to raise money so I could take part in sports. When my mommy was working, she was like a second mother to me.”

Fritz originally wanted to become a teacher, but after not being accepted into an education course,  she refused to let go of her dream and instead took a gap year in 2020.

“I told myself, I won’t give up — even though giving up is often the easy option where I come from,” she said.

In 2021, she enrolled in an Extended Degree Programme (EDP), and by 2022 was studying Social Work. A year later, she transitioned into a Humanities degree, which immediately felt like the right fit. With her accumulated credits, she had a clear path: finish her studies by 2026- everything funded by NSFAS. 

But then life took a devastating turn.

“In 2023, my mommy got really sick. She had diabetes and had to have her leg amputated,” Fritz said. “I had to take care of her full-time. My marks dropped, but I still managed to pass.”

She juggled studies with small side jobs — tutoring, photography, and selling washing powder — just to help keep things afloat. But in early 2024, her mommy passed away.

“That was the hardest moment of my life. But I told myself I have to keep going — she sacrificed too much for me.”

Despite managing to pass her modules under immense pressure, her NSFAS funding was withdrawn. The reason? Her circumstances no longer matched the eligibility criteria. Her appeal was unsuccessful, and she was told the decision was final.

Now  Fritz has been informed she cannot register for the next semester unless she settles her 2024 tuition debt of R150,000. Determined not to quit just before the finish line, she turned to crowdfunding — and has managed to raise R41,000 so far.

Her decision mirrors a growing trend in South Africa: more and more people are turning to online fundraising platforms to pay for medical expenses, cover school fees, support startups, and help local charities — raising hundreds of millions of rands in the process.

The trend reflects the economic strain facing many South Africans. According to Statistics South Africa’s latest Labour Force Survey, 95,000 people lost their jobs as of March this year, while gross earnings dropped by 4.6% between December and March. In this climate, alternative funding models are filling critical gaps.

Data from Horizon indicates that the crowdfunding market in the Middle East and Africa is expected to grow substantially — from R3.3 billion currently to R8.5 billion by 2030.

“I went to a graduation recently to take photos, and I saw all these students with their parents. I thought: this is what I wanted my mommy to see — me in my gown,” Fritz said.

“There were people who tried to break my spirit, but I couldn’t let them. I’ve tutored so many children who are looking up to me. I owe it to them to finish. I need to be the woman they can look at and say, ‘She didn’t give up.’”

She pauses, then adds with quiet resolve:

“I lost my mommy. Then I lost my funding. But I haven’t lost my faith.”

tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za

Weekend Argus

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