Last year I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Thato, a fantastic writer who is passionate about literature, art, political criticism and activism. Thato studies English Literature, Philosophy and Art History at University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa, he's worked incredibly hard to get there but his studies are under threat. Paying his fees this term is difficult and the University has already begun to deregister him, potentially drawing a complete stop to his degree and righting off all the hard work he's already done. This is a horrible thing to deal with, as you can imagine, stressful and consuming. With a history of little support for students of colour, the higher education system in South Africa can be challenging for black students. A lack of funding support and bursaries mean for many it's inaccessible, and similarly to the UK often institutions continue to perpetuate colonial structures. Despite all of this Thato is also doing incredibly important work, questioning university policies and shortcomings, highlighting the inequalities for his peers and raising awareness of other students similar experiences of deregistration and precarity.

I know many face similar circumstances in the UK, higher education is expensive and often unsympathetic or inflexible. So I ask your help to keep Thato enrolled, to allow him to do the work he is so good at, so he can continue to share his writing with the world!

We're racing against the clock to ensure Thato can stay on the course, so the call for support is urgent. Every donation helps, doesn't matter how small, and will go directly to supporting Thato and covering his fees this year. It's not a huge goal, but will make a massive difference, so please share and donate where you can!