Engen’s Collen Makhananisa is inspiring hope by accessing the company’s Employee Community Partnership Programme (ECPP) to help support two under-resourced schools in Limpopo.  

Engen’s ECPP aims to create meaningful upliftment partnerships between the company’s employees and their immediate communities. 

Makhananisa secured a R5 000 ECPP grant from Engen to Limpopo based NPO, Thuto-Bokamoso Educational Forum (TBEF) to be used for learning materials for grades 10 and 11 learners at Kolobetona Secondary School and Makala Secondary School in the Sekgosese area of the province. 

Chinas Nkotolane, chairperson of the TBEF says the organisation identifies and supports schools by providing them with the support they need to boost learner performance. 

“We are actively involved in the Sekgosese area, where matric performance at some schools is declining,” explains Nkotolane. 

“An example is the worrying pass rate at Kolobetona Secondary School, whose matric pass rate has declined from 74.4% in 2015 to 27% in five years.” 

Makhananisa, who works as a building maintenance technician at Engen, is an alumnus of Kolobetona Secondary and an active volunteer of the TBEF, whose work is close to his heart.   

“As an organisation, Engen and Thuto-Bokamoso have a common goal with both organisations really understanding the impact that quality education can make,” says Makhananisa.  

“As an ex-pupil, I am saddened by the declining pass rates and really want to give back to my school and support the community where I grew up,” he adds. 

And it does not end there for Makhananisa and TBEF, who have “big plans” for under performing schools in the Sekgosese area.  

“While our primary aim is to boost academic excellence, we also focus on sanitary pad distribution to avoid missed school days by female learners, provide school uniforms to disadvantaged learners, and we want to build a community library.” 

As a caring company, Engen commends Collen Makhananisa for showing heart and playing his part in making a difference to schools in Limpopo through his support of the TBEF. 

Engen is a long-time supporter of education in South Africa, with its flagship Engen Maths and Science School programme kicking off 34 years ago to help support the transformation of South Africa and the creation of an inclusive and equitable society. 

Engen Maths and Science Schools are based in Cape Town (with classes held at Belgravia and Manzomthombo High Schools every Saturday), and in Port Elizabeth, East London, Cala, and Johannesburg.  

In KwaZulu-Natal classes sit on Saturdays at four locations, namely: Fairvale High School, Ganges High School, Howard College, and Mangosuthu University of Technology. 

Engen Maths and Science Schools provide free supplementary classes in STEM subjects to approximately 1 800 Grades 10-12 learners annually. 

In 2021, the company also invested R11.9 million in Learnerships and Bursaries, along with a further R27 million in social causes.