Sibusiso Hlongwane returned to his alma mater, Thuto-Lefu Secondary in Lawley, Lenasia in Johannesburg, to inspire Grade 11 & 12 learners to apply for study opportunities in higher education. Picture: Supplied

The University of the Western Cape’s Ubuntu Peace Programme (UPP) was officially launched in 2023 to encourage students to make a meaningful impact in communities.

Today, the UPP is still going strong, with communities benefiting from it around the country. The programme is a student-led initiative nurturing compassionate leaders rooted in the African philosophy of Ubuntu. It fosters personal empowerment, community engagement, and social responsibility through projects, dialogue, and creative expression.

Many of the UPP participants are first-year or first-generation students - often both. They are encouraged to change the trajectories of their own lives and inspire those around them by demonstrating that academic success is possible while making positive changes in communities across South Africa.

Sibusiso Hlongwane is the first university entrant in his family and is a second-year student at UWC.

Hlongwane is determined to climb the academic ladder and ensure that others can reach the same heights. This became a reality when he was invited by the University’s Centre for Student Support Services (CSSS) to join the UPP. Participants attend workshops focusing on life skills, including how to launch community projects that positively impact society. At a workshop on 8 March 2025, Hlongwane was motivated and later supported by CSSS to return to his hometown of Lawley and alma mater to inspire high school learners.

Sibusiso Hlongwane talking to the learners at Thuto-Lefu Secondary in Lawley, Lenasia in Johannesburg. Picture: Supplied

“The workshop was nice, it was fun, but I also saw that this is something that will develop me as a person. And it gave me ideas, so I can grow whatever I'm learning here and make it something big and expand it to other people as well. Because if I have the information, I can't gatekeep from people who didn't have opportunities to come to places like UWC,” Hlongwane explained. 

Hlongwane contacted the teaching staff at Thuto-Lefu Secondary in Lawley, Gauteng, where he matriculated in 2021. He created engaging activities for the Grade 11 and 12 learners during the July holiday to inspire them to enrol at a higher education institution. He also gave them access to resources to help them with the application process and provided career guidance.

“Lawley is a very tough neighbourhood…with issues like gang violence, crime and under-resourced schools, where learners don't get a lot of opportunities. It's actually hard for you to…get out of that place and live a better life,” he said.

“They should make sure that whatever they want to do in university aligns with whatever they want to do with their lives. Because it's best for you to choose what you love, what you're interested in, if you're going to spend your entire life doing it.”

Ideally, he would like to expand the reach of his mentorship to schools across Johannesburg, and he is keen to collaborate with other UWC students.

“If there are other people also on campus who want to do something like this and they don't know where to start, they could join what's already there. You know, I'm glad that I was able to pave this way. I didn't know that it was going to come to this, but I'm glad that it went this far.”

Following Hlongwane’s visit to the school, the school principal, Aupa Abel Sehanka, sent a letter of appreciation to UWC: “Having learners attending school in an impoverished environment has proven to be quite challenging when it comes to the transition from high school to higher education institutions.

One of the greatest challenges is a lack of knowledge about how to access the means to be in higher education, such as access to prospectuses and career advising.

The University of Western Cape’s involvement in our school helped ease the prospective students in navigating the complexity of the transition.”

To join the UPP visit https://forms.gle/VGZuPBb9ZBDXpBsJ7