By Laney van Wyk
"Get help and self-help."
This simple yet powerful message embodies Dr Matolwandile Mtotywa's principles for community transformation. A senior lecturer at Rhodes Business School and a Faculty of Commerce Institutional Representative for Community Engagement. Mtotywa believes in seeking guidance while developing an entrepreneurial mindset. Both are rooted in education, which he sees as "the core and the future of the world."
Dr Mtotywa's journey from industry executive to academic has been shaped by the transformative power of societal contribution and community engagement. Through programmes addressing gender-based violence, the Alan Gray Foundation mentorship, and now Vul’Indlela, Mtotywa proceeds to build bridges between academic knowledge and community transformation.
In Makhanda, where employment is centred around Rhodes 欧洲杯足球网_外围买球app推荐-投注|官网 and the municipality, he's discovered that "there are people within the community that have a lot to offer, they just need that helping hand". A recent tragedy deeply validated his commitment to service.
"We had a big incident back at my ancestral home in Fort Beaufort, just around the corner from Makhanda. The community came together to help, clean and support the family, which was 'wow'. It touched me," he recalls. This experience demonstrated the sense of togetherness that drew him back to Eastern Cape, especially in Makhanda, close to his ancestral home and its surrounding areas, where he found a spirit of community and security stronger than anywhere else he's experienced.
This help is needed even more at a personal level to help the community develop, especially young people for a better future. He laments that some of the major challenges associated with financial literacy and a sense of sometimes “false hope”, is having a regressive impact on the community. He identifies peer pressure and "fear of missing out" as creating financial setbacks for young people, particularly those influenced by social media. He also identified challenges in the communities where members are sometimes under pressure to make quick money for survival, through gambling and similar strategies.
"That is the big financial mistake sometimes we as community member make – you end up losing a lot of money in an attempt to make money, end up being worse off."
Dr Mtotywa, also works with PGDip in Advancement and Resource Mobilisation, and as part of the Advancement practice and research which has engaged research- community-based service learning, there is a focus on the financial sustainability of community-based and not-for-profit organisations. Within this work grant proposal writing for donor funding, together with social entrepreneurship, are at the centre, especially within this difficult working environment. This drives the spirit of “Get help and self-help”.
He is optimistic about the future. Through participation in Vul’Indlela, a parent engagement programme, he gets an opportunity to provide a helping hand to the learners and parents, where work is done to cultivate the future of Makhanda, Eastern Cape, and South Africa through the power of “Education”. He is inspired by communities that actively change their children's mindsets, encouraging sports participation to drive youth away from drugs and harmful influences.
The motivation for his work derives from an old Xhosa saying: "Ndiga fundanga nje ndiyaba fundisa goxho abantwana bam." [Regardless of my circumstances, I'll ensure my children have a better academic future]. This spirit of generational improvement drives his belief that while an investment in education may be a long-term endeavour, "it pays off".
"I believe that the efforts in managing and monitoring school children and helping them with facilitation and mentoring are creating the future for Makhanda and South Africa," he says. This embodies Mandela's vision of education as liberation, one lesson at a time.