CIDA students discuss their involvement with Extranet

Phephisile Mathizerd

 Since coming to CIDA the first structure I was touched by was “SIFE” (Students In Free Enterprise), which is a student organisation where we start community beneficial projects which are our own brainchild; we come up with the concepts and the plans for executing them, then we actually go out there and carry them out.  We get to help other people which is the main objective but beyond that we also get to apply what we learn in the BBA, for example operations management.

It’s rather challenging because you are practically running an organisation, and you are dealing with people’s lives.  You really have to deliver and if you don’t you fail the community.

I am also involved with ENKE, which is not an acronym, it means “ink”; their slogan is “Make your mark”.  We get to impact other people’s lives, especially young children.    I am very passionate about creating change and making a difference in my community and as a BBA student I will have my own business by the time I leave here. I wish to not only to make money but to touch people’s lives in the process.

Tsebo Mochali

I’m from a poor town in the Free State called Virginia.  I matriculated 8 years ago, and got an opportunity to go to one of the top universities but had to drop out because I couldn’t afford the fees.  It was then I got introduced to CIDA, which was great because CIDA does 10 times what other institutions do, particularly in terms of what we do as part of Extranet.

I came to CIDA last year, and we ran projects through primary and secondary schools in Alexandra and Soweto, where we take the basic business skills that we have learned and give back to the little ones.  The most amazing part of giving back is seeing the facial expressions of the people you touch once they have really understood what you are meant to teach them.

I registered with the ICT academy last year, and I’m pleased to say after just one year I am a certified network technician, certified by COMTEL which is a globally recognised certificate.  There are many people where we come from who need the same opportunity.  If CIDA was 20 times bigger than it is now it would assist and reach out further, so we wish CIDA could grow.  It is not only students in South Africa that need the sort of education that CIDA provides, but students all around the world.

Betty Raphiri

SIFE is just amazing, you get to interact with people and you know what they’re going though because you went through that and you get to touch their lives.  CIDA is supporting SIFE, and we’re changing lives out there.  It teaches us that you can make money, and while you’re making money you should love people and then use that money to support people. Meeting young people at Alexandra is just amazing.  When you see those young people they will tell you their dreams, and it touches you, you want to do something in their lives to make their dreams come true.
We try to motivate them and by showing them what we are doing it encourages them. We are not products of our circumstances we are products of the choices we make.

Perusha Denston

I’m from a suburb in the South of Johannesburg called Rosettenville, I am 19 years old and matriculated in 2010.
My stay here has been wonderful, I have met people from different walks of life, I have leant to be tolerant and to socialise with people - it has helped me to appreciate people.  Last year I joined SIFE, I have always had a desire to help people and give back to the community.  SIFE has taught me a lot.







The team took part in National SIFE competitions again this year; competing against 26 other teams from other South African universities, they brought three awards back to CIDA:


 • 1st place in Team and projects sustainability – Sponsored by SASOL

• 1st place in Entrepreneurial Approach – sponsored by HARMONY

• 2nd place in Economic Factors – sponsored by NEDBANK