Since 1999, the Umthombo Youth Development Foundation has offered financial aid and mentoring to students majoring in health sciences from underprivileged rural areas. This non-profit works to ensure that many students from South Africa’s most disadvantaged schools become doctors.

Despite coming from some of South Africa’s poorest schools, Umthombo students outperform ordinary health science students at prominent universities like The University of the Witwatersrand regarding pass rates.

Jesse Copelyn, a health journalist at Bhekisisa, spoke with Radio Islam International.