My name is Rhondashein Ntebaleng Morake and this is my story.
I grew up in the dusty township streets of Kaalfontein Midrand. My mother, being part a generational cycle of domestic workers in my family, sacrificed a lot of things of things to enable me to escape this cycle and have better opportunities. She infused me with pride and dignity and allowed me to dream bigger than our two room rented shack. Having a strong work ethic and being intrigued by history, law and politics, I took the first step of rejuvenating myself by joining IkamvaYouth Gauteng.I perceive education as a pre-requisite for sustainable development and that is why I decided to join IkamvaYouth. Education is the foundation of every society and an essential element to build a secure livelihood. It is the only thing that can catapult me, a daughter of a domestic worker and transform me to make gigantic impacts in our country and continent, by stimulating entrepreneurship, nourishing education and tackling crime through my desired career path (Law and Politics).
IkamvaYouth helped me academically and made me a strong academic student. Through its help, I was able to be in the academic top 5 in my school and be awarded the Academic Excellence Award for Grade 12, 2012 by Tsosoloso Ya Afrika High School. I was recently selected to part of be part of the Urban Transformers 2012-2013 by Rethink Leadership as I am inspired by ethical leadership and I speak up in favour of the voiceless. I have also managed to get 4 Distinctions at Matric (2012) and this is a dream come true for me. The fact that I got such good results means that my future has taken a completely different route and my mother no longer has to work as a domestic worker for much longer.
Although my mother is financially disadvantaged, I want to study BA Law with Political Science, Philosophy and International Relations at the University of Cape Town or the University of the Witwatersrand. When I wrote this article about myself, I realised that I aspire to represent the best of Africa’s produce for she is not destitute nor cursed or relegated to occupying the position of orphan continent. I have a clear vision of where I am going, for I have invested in educating myself in preparation to make myself, community, country and continent a success.
My dream is to one day be the President of the Republic of South Africa and the Secretarial General of the United Nations. I want to thank IkamvaYouth for helping me to work towards my dreams.
(Ntebaleng Morake on the left, standing next to Asanele Swelindawo, also a holder of 3 distictions, on the right)
Once an Ikamvanite, always an Ikamvanite!
Proud Ikamvanite: Ntebaleng Morake
The solutions and innovations that will change the world – the cure for AIDS, technologies that will curb environmental destruction, art that unites and inspires – are inside young minds. Young minds that need an education so that these solutions can be developed and tapped. Sadly, most South African youth are enrolled in schools that struggle with the basics – from textbook distribution to learner safety – and so are denied the kind of education that engenders problem solving, innovation and leadership.
However, there is a fast-growing group of young people who refuse to be hopeless or overwhelmed. They are the ikamvanites: learners, tutors and social entrepreneurs who’ve developed an innovative solution to the problems of poor academic achievement and low access to tertiary education. Today, their branches in Gauteng and KZN are celebrating their 100% pass rate and 56% bachelor passes. Overall, 91% have achieved the bachelor or diploma passes they need to access tertiary education. Many ikamvanites excelled (22 distinctions achieved so far overall). “Education is the only thing that can catapult me, a daughter of a domestic worker, into the position where I can make gigantic improvements in our country and continent, by stimulating entrepreneurship, promoting education and tackling crime,” says Ntebaleng Morake, who achieved four distinctions. She’s been accepted at both Wits and UCT and will be studying Law and Politics next year.
The branches are celebrating their results with learners, tutors and parents. “IkamvaYouth has been incredible in helping my child to achieve so much at school. I am so happy today. Now- she has been accepted in three places- and we are confused what option she will take, though I know there are some out there who do not have even one option. Thank you, IkamvaYouth!” enthused Mrs Makhubele.
The Western Cape results will only be available either later this afternoon (according to WCED website) or tomorrow (according to the DBE). However, learners are currently arriving at the branches in Nyanga, Makhaza and Khayelitsha to share their results with their fellow ikamvanites and celebrating their bright futures.
“We’re very proud of all the learners and tutors and thankful to IkamvaYouth’s supporters who enable these life-changing results”, says Sbusiso Kumalo, board member of IkamvaYouth and head of Capitec’s Corporate Affairs. The tutors who help the learners to reach these heights are all volunteers. Most are university students and many are ex-learners from IkamvaYouth. They’re also the organisation’s greatest benefactors: this year, ikamvanites will be delivering the equivalent of well over 7 million rands’ worth of tutoring time to learners in nine townships in five provinces. The result of this phenomenal investment is an intensive, high quality programme that offers ongoing individual attention and support to learners for between R5k and R6k per learner per year.
IkamvaYouth is a by-youth, for-youth volunteer-driven initiative that was established in 2003 and has since been expanding across the country. There are no academic prerequisites for enrollment in the programme, which is free of charge. Most learners join with abysmal academic results and are from impoverished homes with unemployed caregivers. The impact of the programme is phenomenal. As Asanele Swelindawo, an orphan who managed to get three distinctions, says, “I now have the ticket to improve my life and one day be able to take care of my family”.
The full national results will be released once data from the Western Cape is available. IkamvaYouth sends an open invitation to all who want to join in the celebrations at their branches.
CONTACTS:
National Coordinator: Zamo Shongwe; zamo@ikamvayouth.org; +27837347246
Western Cape Coordinator: Liesel Bakker: liesel@ikamvayouth.org +27798854372
Gauteng Coordinator: Patrick Mashanda: patrick@ikamvayouth.org; +27 74 673 1215
KZN Coordinator: Thabisile Seme: thabisile@ikamvayouth.org; +27 716109838
Lloyd Lungu