Representing 10 percent of the Mandela Rhodes Scholarships awarded by the Mandela Rhodes Foundation this year, three Rhodes students out of a total of 30 in the rest of South Africa will be Mandela Rhodes Scholars for 2010. For 2009, Rhodes had four Mandela Rhodes Scholars, making it the university with the most number of students to be awarded in the country.

Clive Eley, Athambile Masola and Beth Vale, in accepting this award, take up a Scholarship that will not only further their academic careers but will also enhance their leadership qualities.

Founded in 2002, the Mandela Rhodes Foundation is a partnership between the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Rhodes Trust that aims to build exceptional leadership capacity in Africa. The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship looks at the holistic character of applicants who are adjudged suitable according to four guiding principles of educational excellence, leadership potential, commitment to reconciliation, and engagement with social entrepreneurship.

Scholars also take part in a series of courses around these key issues; are provided with extensive personal mentoring to support their own leadership development; and network with fellow exceptional young Scholars from across Africa.

The first eight Mandela Rhodes Scholars were selected in 2005; subsequently 15 scholarships were awarded in 2005, 20 in 2007, 23 in 2008 and 28 for 2009. Rhodes has consistently maintained its standing in the scholarship, its students achieving four out of the 15 scholarships awarded in 2005, one of 20 in 2007, three of 23 in 2008, and four of 28 in 2009.

Furthermore, Rhodes students from all fields of study have competitvely applied for the Scholarship over the years. These include computer science, law, history, politics, biotechnology, environmental science, philosophy, English, pharmacy, philosophy, chemistry and African studies.

Clive Eley is currently studying toward an honours degree in chemistry and will continue with his masters in chemistry in 2010. Eley attributes his success in achieving the Scholarship to the holistic educational environment provided by Rhodes.

“I think my willingness to be involved with many different activities here at Rhodes has allowed me to develop an understanding of the four principles of the Scholarship and the opportunity to grow these areas,” said Eley. “The vibrant campus life and the wealth of opportunities for involvement is a big reason for my selection - it's probably why Rhodes University consistently produces several Mandela-Rhodes scholars each year!”

As the Rhodes sports development liaison for 2009, a new portfolio which he intiated at Rhodes Sports Administration to promote effective community engagement through sport, Eley conducted workshops at the University on effective community engagement and has organised various collaborative community engagement initiatives.

The Currie Street Courts Project, involving the South African Police Services, Makana Municipality and Rhodes University sports clubs, is aimed at converting derelict tennis courts situated in the Grahamstown township into a multi-purpose sports recreational facility to be used by surrounding schools and the community.

As a workshop facilitator and Eastern Cape provincial coordinator for the Young Communicator’s Award (YCA), Eley has helped learners in East London, Alicedale and Umtata to develop their presentation skills and become more confident and articulate public speakers.

Eley looks forward to having access to a group of talented and enthusiastic young people from whom to learn and draw inspiration. “Developing these kinds of networks is crucial for any successful career, but particularly in an African context such a network is a brilliant platform from which to effect substantial change in society,” he said.

“The most exciting prospect for me is to be able to contact fellow Mandela Rhodes scholars several years from now and get them involved in a collaborative project of some sort - the Scholarship is really empowering in this sense”.

Currently completing her honours in African Studies and Education, Athambile Masola will be studying towards masters in education next year. Masola believes that her dedication to education in her immediate environment and the leadership abilities she exhibited as the Student’s Representative Council’s Community Engagement Councillor secured her the Scholarship. She has also worked on the Student Vounteer Programme since 2006 and has been involved in various community engagement projects.?

She started the Representative Council for Learners (RCL) training programme in 2008 in which she works with local learners in seven Grahamstown high schools to build leadership capacity. The latter programme is the product of a creative working partnership between local schools, Rhodes University and the Department of Education.

Masola is looking forward to aspects of the Scholarship, such as the one-on-one mentorship, that contribute to character development and is excited about the opportunities to network with fellow scholars. “I don’t yet realise how big this is,” said Masola.

“I am really looking forward to meeting with and learning from the other scholars, and benefitting from the network’s support structures. All these opportunities inspire me to go to greater lengths with my own work.”

Beth Vale is in her final year of her Bachelor of Arts degree in politics and philosophy. Next year she will study towards a joint honours degree in politics and philosophy. Vale values the emphasis which the Foundation places on getting “a sense of the character of their applicants”.

“The work I have done with the Student HIV/AIDS Resistance Campaign (SHARC) and my involvement in gender justice campaigns and student activism generally shows that I am committed to social change and really believe in the power of student leadership,” said Vale. “I'd like to think that the passion I have for the advocacy work that I do resonated with the amazing activists I've worked with, and made an impact on the selection committee.”

Reflecting on the unique opportunity “to work with like-minded, exceptionally talented young leaders from across the country”, Vale said “I can't even begin to imagine the number of things I'm going to learn from all these people and the rewarding experiences I will have.”

“Both the mentoring programme and the workshops provide us with an opportunity that very involved students rarely get - to reflect on our projects, our goals and our style of leadership and think about what we want for the future of the continent. As an activist, I get incredibly excited about the possibilities this holds and how much change such a group could affect.”

Vale has great hopes for herself and her fellow scholars to be agents of effective change in South Africa. “The first thing is for young people to realize that the socio-economic problems in the country
are something we have to 'deal with',” said Vale.

“Radical change is possible if we really want it. A lot of this will come from a change in values - where people are valued higher than profit, where development doesn't mean builing a stadium but having a good healthcare system, where the rape of 54 women a day is more important than new arms technology, and where education isn't just about passing exams and getting degrees but a platform for shaping enthusiastic, socially-conscious young people that can advocate for these values in the future.”