Simmi Bassudev
CEO: PPS Healthcare Administrators

CREATING ENVIRONMENTS WHERE ORDINARY PEOPLE CAN

BECOME EXTRAORDINARY

PPS Healthcare Administrators chose to partner with the PPS Foundation in 2021 to improve access to education for the South African youth. The options were to either donate directly to the universities or partner with the PPS Foundation. Partnering with the PPS Foundation was a no brainer. The foundation provides so much more than just a bursary. It provides support to students through various initiatives, such as the LEAP Work-Readiness programme, Professionals Connect and the Graduate Internship Development Programme to name a few. We want to ensure that access to education is not dependent on wealth.

The idea is that a student’s bursary should remove all the stress related to financial insecurity. But with the COVID-19 pandemic still disrupting our lives, we realised beneficiaries would need extra help in 2021 as well. Many students also had the additional burden of historical debt which would prevent them from graduating or even continuing their studies. Settling this historical debt lifts a huge burden off their shoulders and allows them to focus on their studies. Too many students fail to realise their dreams due to student debt. We as PPS Healthcare Administrators hope to play a small role in fulfilling these dreams.

The PPS Foundation’s primary focus is to improve access to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to make a measurable contribution to the sustainable development of South African communities. This all resonates very closely with PPS Healthcare Administrators. Our area of focus is healthcare and over the years we have seen a growing shortage of healthcare professionals. We hope that our donation to the PPS Foundation will go a long way in accelerating efforts to increase the number of healthcare professionals in the country.

We would like to think that we have played a part in the foundation living up to its core purpose in 2021. To contribute to the development of South African youth, despite the numerous challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

I come from a family that holds education in the utmost regard. In many instances, it was the community I grew up in that shaped my life and future. There was a very strong emphasis on education. My mum was most definitely my role model. She was a teacher and instilled the need for learning in my siblings and me from a very early age. I am very passionate about creating a culture of learning and providing opportunities for development. Always empowering people to be the best version of themselves.

PPS Healthcare Administrators believe in creating environments where ordinary people can become extraordinary. We hope the recipients will innovate and create South African solutions for South Africa.