On the last day of the winter school we held a talent show and a party. The talent show was a huge hit with learners and volunteers alike; in fact it got everyone up on their feet dancing and singing along to tunes sung by the ikamva ‘stars’ of the moment. The talent show was a powerful platform for learners to express themselves in spaces not usually available in the Ikamva framework. Besides creative talent, the learners also demonstrated insightful commentaries on life through performance poetry and speeches that they gave. This was all followed by a great party with celebratory snacks.
Every Ikamvanite must leave school with a clear plan for the years ahead. For most this means accessing tertiary institutions, bursary opportunities, learnerships, or repeating their matric subjects to improve their marks. Each IkamvaYouth matriculant at the winter school had a one-on-one session identifying their goals for 2011 and how to get there. Allan Gray also presented their bursary scheme to the learners which we hope will serve as a motivating factor for the end of year exams. Ikamvanites also got a chance to tour wits with the Wits Volunteers.
EXCURSIONS
Ikamvanites visited the Sci Bono Discovery Centre based in New Town, Johannesburg. Ikamvanites were thrilled with scientific phenomena brought into life on their guided tour. They attended an intriguing public lecturer on the history of mathematics in Egypt and thoroughly enjoyed the Science of Soccer Exhibition.
Ikamvanites also enjoyed the opportunity to tour the Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI) depot in Midrand and were treated to a cinema style setup where refreshments were served and the story of Coca Cola was told to a riveted audience from the very beginnings (it’s hard to imagine life before Coca Cola). A chemical engineer and tour guide entertained with mesmerising facts and trivia and the day ended with a gift pack in hand and memories of an outstanding tour of the biggest Coca Cola plant in the Southern Hemisphere.
CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS
As an introduction to the winter school we ran a ‘body maps’ workshop on the first day. This
is a process by which students trace the outline of their body and then using paint, pastels and found objects such as beads, feathers and pompoms, fill in the ‘map’ of their body. We were overwhelmed by the moving, fascinating and fun final products.
In addition, there were also the following activities that ran throughout the winter school where learners broke into smaller groups: IkamvaCares, Digital Photography Project, Poetry and Drama, Hip-Hop and Dance.
COMPUTER LITERACY TRAINING
IkamvaYouth’s Grade 10 learners with no previous experience of computers were introduced to the world of IT through Operation Fikelela, our context-specific introductory computer literacy training curriculum. The group will continue the lessons through the rest of the year.
Lloyd Lungu