On 23 July, Feenix held an online webinar titled “Funding For Student Success”. The webinar provided context surrounding Feenix as a public benefit organisation which was launched in June 2017 in response to the #FeesMustFall movement. The organisation states that its central belief is that access to education should not be dependent on wealth.
Its aim is to make education more accessible by connecting students in need to donor communities through a secure crowdfunding platform where students actively raise funds for their studies. Feenix provides additional support mechanisms such as webinars on fundraising, student leadership, and work readiness. It is open to all students regardless of race, gender, or course of study.
Since its inception in 2017, the organisation has raised R190.2 million and helped 4 121 students. Feenix shared a variety of success stories in its webinar and stated that it has a particular concern for the impact of South Africa’s socio-economic climate on students. The goal is to craft opportunities that lead to obtaining a degree or certificate that ensures their future economic participation.
Although the initial target was the “missing middle” – those that did not qualify for funding from NSFAS – this has expanded to include low-income households. In fact, 50% of Feenix’s funded students have a yearly household income that is less than R300 000. Thus, Feenix provides an innovative solution to student funding.
