Meet Dudley. Dudley Maseko is a Carleton alumnus (BA/10; MA/12) and Canadian lawyer currently practicing as legal counsel with the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Justice.
He is also an instructor for Bar admission courses, a member of the board of directors of the Nunavut Development Corporation and a high school basketball coach.
In both his personal and professional endeavours, he is committed to bettering his community and giving back. Born in Zimbabwe, he is particularly passionate about supporting education in Africa.
“Last year, I established the Daniel Samuel Maseko Memorial Scholarship at the University of Cape Town in South Africa,” Dudley shares.
“The scholarship, named in honour of my late father who had an unwavering belief in the value of a good education, supports students from eight countries in the Southern African Development Community who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need and a history of community involvement.”
Like many universities across the world, the University of Cape Town (UCT) made the difficult decision to suspend all classes in March to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
“Student were instructed to vacate residences within 72 hours of the university’s closure,” Dudley explains. “This presented an urgent expense to students, particularly to those from low-income families, who needed to unexpectedly move out.”
Wanting to help, Dudley swiftly jumped into action and reached out to UCT.
“I was told that financial assistance was needed to help transport students back home,” Dudley recalls of his conversation with UCT. “I immediately agreed to donate US$6,000 (R100,000) in support of this cause.”
Dudley’s donation supported the safe transportation of 24 students, as well as emergency food assistance for students in need during the physical distancing period.
“I was concerned about the impact that the health crisis and associated unplanned costs would have on students. It feels amazing to know that I helped ensure that these students made it home safely to be with their families during this challenging time.”
While not everyone has the financial means to make monetary donations in support of their communities, Dudley feels that we all have a role to play.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has given us all an opportunity to reflect—both individually and collectively,” Dudley muses.
“It has highlighted how interconnected and interdependent we are, and how much our individual actions impact collective outcomes. In that vein, it’s very important to reach out and make sure that those among us who need help—be it our elderly neighbours who live alone, families short on food, students on thin budgets and those who lost their jobs due to lay-offs—don’t experience hardship in isolation. We can each play a small role that, when combined, adds up to big impact.”
Members of the Carleton community, he says, get this—stepping up in droves to find ways to help out.
“As an alumnus of Carleton University, I’m very proud of the ways in which members of our community are reaching out to support their neighbours. I have heard and read their heartwarming stories, and I want to say ‘thank you’ to all my fellow Ravens. Please keep giving your time, being there for each other and staying safe.”
We want to hear from you! We invite you to share your stories of our community helping each other and their neighbours.