Former Dagbrekers have shown they are more than willing to give the next generation a helping hand when they collected over R200 000 at a recent auction.

The auction, attended by current and former Dagbrekers, was a fundraiser for the benefit of the Oud-Dagbreker Bond Bursary Fund Trust and also an opportunity to say goodbye to Dagbreek's resident head of the past 23 years, Dr De Wet Strauss. "This is an annual auction where we raise money for the Trust that supports Dagbreek students," says Henno Vermaak, one of the OBD trustees.

According to Vermaak, a total of R213 000 was raised. "The funds raised are 100% utilised for the ODB Bursary Fund, which grants bursaries to students. The Bursary Fund was established in 2006 with the aim of supporting financially struggling students in Dagbreek. We aim to enable them financially to help them to complete their studies and to enjoy a healthy student life - something that, in our view, is a key factor in each student's personal development," he says.

In their consideration of the candidates', financial neediness is a prerequisite. All candidates are then considered on merit, with academics as the main consideration. The award of the bursary in any year is not a given. If there are no suitable candidates, the bursary is simply carried over. To date, the Bursary Fund has helped 24 students through the 36 one-year bursaries awarded.

Francois Fouché, ODB member and one of the organisers of the auction, said they found that there were competent students who did not complete their courses due to financial constraints. "It's our dream to prevent students from giving up when their finances dry up. It's a way that former Dagbrekers can give back to the next generation and we believe it will be a benefit to the country as a whole."

He also says: "We are grateful to every person who supports the bursary fund (donors, buyers, and students) and it's really a privilege to be part of this positive project. We have a wonderful support network that supports the auction and every item that was auctioned was a donation."