For Rhulani Tracy Masungwini from Shimani village in Malamulele, a proper education starts with being equipped with the necessary tools. Growing up in the rural parts of Vhembe herself, she knows what wrestling through school with limited resources is like.
"I used to carry my pencil, pen, a few exercise books to write in and a ruler in my small homemade bag to school. Very few textbooks were made available for us to read then. Teachers were the centre of information. Should my fellow rural learners go through this same experience while technology is the order of the day today? My answer is NO!" Not if she can help it, she says.
Because of her own basic learning experience, her personal mission in life is to make sure that learners from rural schools are equipped with the necessary tools to make their learning experience a good one.
On 14 April this year, she donated ten new computers to Mulamula Primary School in Malamulele, where more than 300 learners with no previous experience of computers will have the opportunity to become more computer literate. This, however, is not the first time she bought new computers for a rural school. Last year, she donated 15 computers to the Edison Nesengani Secondary School in Vuwani. Pfunekani Primary School also received 10 new computer monitors earlier this year.
Freddy Chauke, one of the community members who work at the school, said he found the fact that the learners at the school could be starting with computer lessons soon to be exciting.
Despite the fact that Masungwini was raised by an unemployed single parent, she managed to turn the odds in her favour. Today she runs her own company, called Rhulani Tracy Pty Ltd. The company offers short courses in catering, cleaning and cashier training at her Vuwani office. For practical experience, she engages with Spar Vuwani to give students the full learning background.