The ongoing challenges at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has led enterprising student Mawanu Ramashia (19), who is studying towards a Bachelor of Accounting degree at Stellenbosch University (SU), to start a car-wash business to help aid hungry students.
Earlier this year NSFAS introduced a direct payment scheme in which allowances such as food and travel allowances would be paid through third-party companies.
This transition to the new payment method has caused many students not to receive their allowances for months.
Speaking to Eikestandnuus, Ramashia said he could not see himself doing nothing while his peers in his university residence were going to sleep without having a meal to eat.
“Last year I had a roommate on NSFAS and saw how he struggled, and this year with the new payment scheme I saw how my peers were struggling with food and had to do something about it.”
Coming from Johannesburg he always wanted to start his own business and having experience as a car washer he decided to open one at his residence.
“Back home I used to wash cars to make some extra money, and because of this experience and it is easy, I decided to open up a car wash.
“I thought I could unite my longstanding desire to own a business with helping my peers whom I see struggling. So, in a way, the timing is perfect.”
His business operates on weekends and, together with 10 NSFAS students, they wash the cars of their fellow residents and sometimes people from the community.
“I have about 10 guys working on the project, washing the cars mostly of guys in our residence, but we also welcome external people. We rotate our work so everyone can have an opportunity to wash a car and make some money for food.”
Ashley Mathebula, a first-year Earth Sciences student and NSFAS beneficiary, said this initiative helped him buy food when his bursary failed to pay his food allowances out.
“I joined this initiative because it is hard here at university; sometimes we go to bed without food. NSFAS has also not paid my allowances for the past few months, making it very difficult for me to survive.”
According to Mathebula he can at least, after having washed a car, buy himself bread, eggs and tea so he can survive and complete his studies successfully.
Ramashia’s business, which is now a few weeks old, charges R100 per vehicle for a wash and inside deep-clean.
Of the money charged R40 goes to the NSFAS beneficiary and R60 back to the business for its sustainability.
According to Ramashia, who is now only in his second year, he would like to continue this initiative until he graduates.
“I recognise that NSFAS is becoming more unreliable,” he said, “and I would like to continue this project as long as I can.”
