Isithombe: UNksz Itumeleng Mhlongo engqungqutheleni ye-13th Heidelberg Laureate Forum ebibanjelwe eJalimane.
Ngu-SHEILA MHLONGO
Umfundi oneminyaka engu-18 ofundela ubudokotela eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), uNksz Itumeleng Mhlongo, usedonse amehlo emhlabeni jikelele ngocwaningo lwakhe olusha oluhlose ukusiza imiphakathi entulayo ukuba ithole usizo lwezempilo kusetshenziswa ubuchwepheshe besimanje.
Lo mfundi owenza unyaka wokuqala ezifundweni zobudokotela usemele iNingizimu Afrika ezingqungqutheleni ezimbili zamazwe ngamazwe esikhathini esiyizinsuku ezingu-30 kuphela, okuyimpumelelo enkulu kuye futhi ekhombisa ukuqala kohambo oluthembisayo emkhakheni wezokwelapha.
NgoSepthemba, uMhlongo uhambele ingqungquthela ye-13th Heidelberg Laureate Forum (HLF) ebibanjelwe eJalimane, kwathi ngo-Agasti wahambela i-American Field Service (AFS) Youth Assembly eGeneva, eSwitzerland.
UMhlongo ubengomunye wabacwaningi abasebasha, ongoti bezibalo kanye nososayensi bamakhompyutha abangu-200 abaqokwe emhlabeni wonke ukuba babambe iqhaza engqungqutheleni yaseHeidelberg.
Kule ngqungquthela, uthole ithuba lokufunda kongoti abahlonishwa umhlaba wonke asebehlomule ngezindondo ezihlonishwayo okubalwa kuzo iFields Medal, i-Abel Prize kanye neTuring Award.
Engqungqutheleni yentsha ebiseGeneva, uMhlongo ubeyisithunywa emkhakheni wezempilo, lapho ehlanganyele khona nabaholi abasebasha abavela emazweni ahlukahlukene.
Uphinde wabamba iqhaza ohlelweni olubizwa ngeChangemakers Academy, olugxile ekuthuthukiseni izindlela ezintsha zokuxazulula izinkinga zomhlaba. Lolu hlelo luqhutshwa ngokubambisana ne-University of Pennsylvania yaseMelika.
UBUCHWEPHESHE OBUSIZA IMIPHAKATHI ENTULAYO
Ukubamba iqhaza kukaMhlongo kulezi zingqungquthela kususelwe ocwaningweni lwakhe olubizwa nge-Bridge the Gap, okuwuhlelo oluhlose ukuxhumanisa imiphakathi engatholi kalula izinsiza zezempilo nodokotela abazinikela ukusiza ngaphandle kwenkokhelo.
Lolu hlelo lusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe be-Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), obuvumela abantu ukuba bathole usizo ngokusebenzisa ikhodi elula kumakhalekhukhwini.
Okubalulekile ngalobu buchwepheshe ukuthi umuntu akadingi ukuba ne-smartphone noma idatha ye-inthanethi ukuze asebenzise lolu hlelo.
UMhlongo ukhulele elokishini laseTshepisong, eGoli, lapho azibonela khona mathupha ubunzima izakhamuzi ezibhekana nabo uma zidinga ukuthola usizo lwezempilo.
Lezi zimo zamgqugquzela ukuba acabange indlela entsha engasiza imiphakathi, nokwaholela ekusungulweni kweBridge the Gap.
“Ngabona ukuthi kufanele kube khona indlela engcono yokusiza umphakathi. Yingakho ngaqala ukucwaninga ngobuchwepheshe be-USSD obusebenza kunoma yiluphi uhlobo lukamakhalekhukhwini ngaphandle kokusebenzisa idatha.
“Lo msebenzi waqala njengombono nje, kodwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi wakhula waba uhlelo olungasebenza, ngokwesekwa odokotela abazinikela ukusiza kanye nomphakathi,” kusho uMhlongo.
Njengamanje, lo mfundi umatasa nokuthuthukisa lolu hlelo, okulindeleke ukuba luqale ukuhlolwa ngokusemthethweni ekuqaleni konyaka ozayo.
UHLOSE UKWANDISA LOLU HLELO LUFINYELELE E-AFRIKA YONKE
UMhlongo uthi iphupho lakhe ukubona iBridge the Gap isetshenziswa emalokishini aseNingizimu Afrika, bese ngokuhamba kwesikhathi inabela nakwamanye amazwe ezwenikazi lase-Afrika.
“Ngihlela ukwandisa lolu hlelo ukuze lufinyelele emalokishini aseNingizimu Afrika, lugcine selusebenza nase-Afrika yonkana.
“Ngifuna ukufaka ubuchwepheshe be-Artificial Intelligence (AI) obuzosiza ekuhloleni nasekuhlukaniseni iziguli ngokuphuthuma kwezidingo zazo, ukufaka uhlelo lwezwi olusebenza ngezilimi ezahlukene, kanye nokusebenzisa ama-drone ukuletha imithi nezinsiza zezempilo.
“Ngiphinde ngihlose ukuqeqesha abasebenzi bezempilo abangasebenzi ukuze bakwazi ukusebenzisa iBridge the Gap. Lokhu kuzosiza ekudaleni amathuba emisebenzi ngesikhathi esifanayo kuthuthukiswa ukufinyelela kosizo lwezempilo,” kuchaza uMhlongo.
INDODAKAZI YONOGADA ABABILI IFEZA IPHUPHO ELINGAKAZALI
UMhlongo uphothule umatikuletsheni eLufhereng Secondary School, okuyisikole esikuQuintile 2 esinezinsiza ezilinganiselwe.
Uthi wayengakaze acabange ukuthi esafunda unyaka wokuqala wobudokotela e-UKZN, wayeyobe esemele iNingizimu Afrika ezinkundleni zomhlaba.
Lo mfundi uyizibulo labazali ababili abasebenza njengonogada, abangazange balithole ithuba lokufunda enyuvesi.
Uthi impumelelo yakhe isho lukhulu kubazali bakhe, abajabule kakhulu ngokubona indodakazi yabo ifinyelela ezingeni ababengakaze balicabange.
“Abazali bami bayaziqhenya kakhulu ngami futhi bathinteke kakhulu emoyeni. Kusho lukhulu kubona ukubona indodakazi yabo eyizibulo ingagcini nje ngokungena enyuvesi, kodwa iphinde imele izwe layo emhlabeni wonke.
“Lokhu yinto ababengakaze bayicabange ngisho nasemaphusheni abo amakhulu. Babema emasangweni beqapha ukuze abanye abantu bazizwe bephephile, kodwa namuhla sebebuka indodakazi yabo imi ezinkundleni zamazwe ngamazwe,” kusho uMhlongo.
Indaba kaMhlongo ikhombisa indlela intsha yaseNingizimu Afrika engasebenzisa ngayo imfundo, ucwaningo nobuchwepheshe ukusungula izixazululo zezinkinga ezibhekene nemiphakathi.
Qaphela: Umbhalo wokuqala ophelile ugcina phakathi nomusho oqala ngokuthi “Financial support has played a key role in enab…”. Leyo ngxenye ayifakiwe lapha ngoba ayiphelele. Uma usuthumele ingxenye esele, ngizoyihumusha ukuze udaba luphelele ngaphandle kokushiya imininingwane ebalulekile.
Ngiyabonga kakhulu. Nansi ingxenye yokugcina yodaba lukaNksz Itumeleng Mhlongo, esihunyushelwe esiZulwini ukuze iqhubeke kahle lapho sigcine khona. Ngigcine yonke imininingwane ebalulekile kanye nezitatimende zabathintekayo.
UXHASO LWEZIMALI LUMVULELE AMATHUBA OMHLABA WONKE
Uxhaso lwezimali lube neqhaza elikhulu ekusizeni uMhlongo ukuba aqhubeke nezifundo zakhe zobudokotela, aphinde athole amathuba okuhambela izingqungquthela zamazwe ngamazwe.
UMhlongo ungomunye wabafundi abahlomula ngohlelo lomfundaze olubizwa nge-Moshal Scholarship, olweseka abafundi abenza kahle kakhulu ezifundweni abaphuma emindenini entulayo.
Lolu hlelo lubheka abafundi abakhombisa ikhono eliphezulu ezifundweni, abanamathuba okuba ngabaholi bakusasa, futhi abazimisele ukubuyisela okuhle emiphakathini abaphuma kuyo.
UMhlongo uthe lo mfundaze umsize kakhulu ngoba usuyakwazi ukugxila ezifundweni zakhe ngaphandle kokuhlale ekhathazekile ngokuthi uzoyithathaphi imali yokukhokhela izidingo zemfundo.
UMqondisi Omkhulu woPhiko Lwezobudlelwano Bezikhungo eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal, uDkt Normah Zondo, uhalalisele uMhlongo ngempumelelo yakhe encomekayo.
“Indlela entsha u-Itumeleng asebenzisa ngayo ubuchwepheshe ukuze athuthukise ukufinyelela kosizo lwezempilo emiphakathini enganakekelwa ngokwanele iyakhuthaza futhi iyancomeka.
“Umsebenzi wakhe uhambisana kakhulu nezinhloso kanye namagugu ethu okuqinisekisa ukuthi ucwaningo luyasiza ekuxazululeni izinkinga abantu ababhekana nazo empilweni yangempela.
“Siyaziqhenya kakhulu ngombono wakhe, ukuzimisela kwakhe kanye nokuzinikela kwakhe ekusebenziseni amakhono akhe ukwenza umehluko obonakalayo ezimpilweni zabanye abantu.
“Simfisela impumelelo enkulu njengoba eqhubeka nokukhulisa uhlelo lweBridge the Gap, nokufeza iphupho lakhe lokwenza usizo lwezempilo lufinyeleleke kalula kubantu abaningi,” kusho uDkt Zondo.
UBONGA I-UKZN NABAXHASI ABAMVULELE IMINYANGO
UMhlongo uzwakalise ukubonga okukhulu eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal ngoxhaso aluthole ngohlelo olubizwa nge-Dean’s Travel Grant.
Lolu xhaso lumkhokhele amathikithi endiza okuya nokubuya eGeneva, izindleko zokufaka isicelo se-visa yaseSchengen, umshwalense wokuhamba kanye nezindleko zezokuthutha eNingizimu Afrika naseSwitzerland.
Uphinde wabonga iCarl Zeiss Foundation, eyamxhasa ngohlelo lwe-Abbe Grant, olwamkhokhela izindleko zokuhambela ingqungquthela ebiseJalimane.
“Ngaphandle kwalolu xhaso, bekungeke kwenzeke ukuba ngihambele iHeidelberg Laureate Forum kanye ne-AFS Youth Assembly.
“Ngibonga kakhulu kubo bonke abaxhasi, ikakhulukazi i-UKZN, ngokutshala imali kubafundi abafana nami nangokusivulela iminyango yamathuba ebesicabanga ukuthi ayohlale ivaliwe,” kusho uMhlongo.
Umthombo: Uphiko Lwezobudlelwano Bezikhungo (Corporate Relations Division), University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Oxhumana nabezindaba: Hlengiwe Khwela, Media Liaison Officer. Ucingo: 073 200 1322. I-imeyili: khwelah1@ukzn.ac.za.
Amazwibela esithombe: UNksz Itumeleng Mhlongo ngesikhathi ehambele ingqungquthela ye-13th Heidelberg Laureate Forum eJalimane.
Lolu udaba oluhle kakhulu olungafakwa ekhasini lezemfundo noma elezindaba ezikhuthazayo ku-KZN Namuhla Community Newspaper. Ikakhulukazi ngenxa yokuthi luveza impumelelo yentombazane eneminyaka engu-18, ekhulele elokishini, engundodakazi yonogada ababili, kodwa esikwazile ukumela iNingizimu Afrika emhlabeni.
Ngiphakamisa ukuthi uma selushicilelwa ephephandabeni, sisebenzise isihloko esiheha abafundi esithi:
