Tools To Greatness
With the firm conviction that out of the youth of today will come tomorrow’s engineers, SANRAL has invested heavily in their academic development.
SANRAL’s Eastern Region comprising KwaZulu-Natal and Free State has benefitted from scholarship and bursary programmes to help build a core of engineers. This will enable SANRAL to realise its mandate to finance, improve, manage and maintain the national road network.
Logashri Sewnarain, regional manager of SANRAL Eastern Region, was herself a recipient of a SANRAL bursary when she studied for a BSc (Civil Engineering) at university.
Shaheil Khoosal, a project manager in SANRAL’s Eastern Region office, enrolled in the agency’s bursary programme in 2010 during his final year of study. SANRAL provided Khoosal with funding and vacation work and he graduated in 2011. He subsequently worked on the Umgeni interchange construction site from 2012 to 2014 as a graduate engineer.
Presently two young engineering students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal cannot thank SANRAL enough for providing them with bursaries to study civil engineering.
Young extrovert, Shrivar Hiralal, 22, a fourth-year BSc Civil Engineering student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, matriculated at Star College Boys High and resides with his parents, and two brothers in Reservoir Hills.
At the start of his university journey, he hoped to acquire the theory behind an
engineers’ role and how engineering contributed to improve society.
Hiralal was encouraged by his parents, educators and engineers at career talks to further his studies in civil engineering.
“Environmental engineering was an extremely fascinating module. I enjoyed it as it involves environmental impact assessments conducted on the health and safety aspects of society.”
“Ground-structure also interested me a great deal as the subject focused on the designing of bridges from the foundation to the slab itself.”
Hiralal said SANRAL provided him with a pathway, both financially and academically, to achieve his desired goals.
“I am extremely blessed as SANRAL takes care of my textbooks, stationery, travelling expenses and there’s even an allowance!”
He held Sir Alex Ferguson, ex Manchester United manager, as a role model because he was committed to excellence and never gave up on his dreams and goals, regardless of whether the task seemed impossible or not.
He said a major challenge was when during his matric year, his father and younger brother were involved in a serious motor accident which left his brother in a coma for a week.
This was a difficult period for him but with positivity, he overcame the obstacle with excellent results.
The enthusiastic lad plans to achieve his Honours degree this year and attain his