UWC has its own ‘fairy godmother’ assisting students in need

CAPE TOWN - The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has a "fairy godmother" helping needy students.  

The anonymous benefactor assists registered students with financial aid, groceries and textbooks as well as helping postgraduates to find work.  

She said her role is to connect students with donors and encourage others to contribute.  

“I consider this very much a group effort. I am the administrator of a page, but that is really my sole role here. All I do is the admin job of connecting students with funders. The money is not coming predominantly from my personal bank account.”  

Requests from students are posted anonymously on Facebook to respect their privacy.  

“It’s not about me, it’s about the students, right? That’s what really matters. Anonymity is really the whole principle of the page. It’s not just me surrounded by mystery and intrigue. It’s our students. All of our students’ requests are posted anonymously on the page too.”