In a heartfelt celebration of gratitude and appreciation at the inaugural UWC Donor Recognition Awards, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) recently paid tribute to its donors, acknowledging their role in propelling the University to new heights.

Distinguished with gold, silver, and bronze medals, reflective of their respective constant contribution levels, the honourees included corporate entities, individuals, devoted alumni, and past and present UWC staff.

These are consistent donors for a period of three years or more. According to UWC Donor Relations Manager, Vera Adams, their generous contributions have facilitated bursaries, state-of-the-art facilities, research initiatives, and various programmes benefiting both students and the broader community.

Director of Institutional Advancement at UWC Professor Anesh Singh and UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Tyrone Pretorius

Fittingly, the event was hosted at the Life Sciences Building, one of the biggest life science facilities on the continent , which became a reality thanks to a donation by American businessman and philanthropist, Charles (Chuck) Feeney.

His R200 million rand donation, the biggest of its kind for the University, also led to the construction of the School of Public Health building.

UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Tyrone Pretorius expressed his gratitude and assured the donors that every cent helps, irrespective of the donation amount. "Our donor community's generosity and foresight have helped us rise. With your backing, we have built infrastructure from scratch, conducted life-changing research and assisted many students to graduate and to thrive in the workplace."

Prof Pretorius appealed to the donors to continue supporting UWC . "It has become clear that we will need you by our side in the near future as core funding from the government has significantly been reduced for all higher institutions in South Africa. We will have to turn to philanthropic assistance more than in the past," said Prof Pretorius. 
 
Prof Pretorius' sentiments were echoed by Professor Anesh Singh, Director of the Department for Institutional Advancement, where the Donor Relations Office is located.

Director of Institutional Advancement at UWC Professor Anesh Singh and Former UWC staff member and donor Vincent Morta

He said: "Philanthropy, if you look at many dictionaries, is defined as the love of humanity with the genuine interest of making a difference in the lives of others. You are here this evening because we recognise you as philanthropists who have supported the University of the Western Cape."

One of the award recipients was Vincent Morta, former Director of Quality Assurance and Management Information Systems in Institutional Planning at UWC, who started donating in 2007.

He said as an alumnus of the University, he remains committed to UWC even in his retirement, as the University played an integral part in his life. 

"What I became was thanks to the opportunities given to me by the University. I have seen it develop, and I was part of the development. UWC made me, and the more you give, the more you receive. I have personal experience of that." said Morta.

Morta has called on other staff, former staff members, alumni and friends of the University to heed the donor call. He said previous calculations showed that if every alumni member donated a mere R1, the University's coffers would be R750 000 stronger every month.