Mihlali Manqina

The Michel Lanfranchi Foundation bursary came at the perfect time, almost shockingly perfect. I was humbled, my family equally appreciative of the opportunity I had gotten. What it meant is, my parents no longer had to go through the stress of having to worry about the costs associated with my education, my accommodation, study material, and any of the essential things needed to have a good university experience. Coming from a financially humble background, this opportunity allowed me to push myself toward my goals without any additional pressure. It allowed me to conclude my final year (3rd year) in 2021, and postgraduate studies in BSc HONS Construction Management (2022) as per my goals set when entering tertiary. The result is that I’m now 10 months into my mainstream career, building my Construction Project Management skills gradually so I can give my bit back to the industry in one way or the other. That’s what it is all about for me, the opportunity to be able to stand at a point where I can be able to extend my hand out, the same way it was extended to me.