health and wellness program
The IKAMVAYOUTH tutors were also invited to be trained and assist with the health awareness program by the Directorate of Health and Wellness of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) for 3 days (14th -16th August), the total number of tutors that partook in the program were 10 from the Mamelodi Branch.
The key duties and responsibilities that were performed during the program by the tutors include:
- Condom distribution to the students within the institute of learning (TUT)
- Encouraging the students to visit the health and wellness stands to:
- Check their pulses
- Receive guidance on the importance of why one needs to learn why they must use protection during intercourse, and the mechanics involved in the process
- Visit the testing stations to test for HIV/AIDS, and all the various infections and illnesses pertaining to sexual intimacy
During the week whilst assisting with the health and wellness program, an IkamvaYouth exhibition stand was also put in place to market the organization, the tutors were wearing the IkamvaYouth regalia (shirts and hoodies) as part of the marketing initiative. The marketing was not only for the Mamelodi branch, but for IkamvaYouth as a whole, at its various other branches. Approximately 60 student volunteers were recruited from their respective fields of study, we believe this recruitment will add immensely to the volunteers we currently have, and to the organization at large. Since these recruited tutors are students we believe they will add value critically when it comes to bridging the gaps between highschool and university for our current grade 12 learners and even those in lower grades, as they can offer knowledge and mentorship to the various avenues that the learners may take post matric. Career mentorship is one critical aspect of the organization; we thus pride ourselves in having the right academic tutors who can help lessen the stresses of the learners having to look for information, but having information come to them.
The program was a good initiative in growing the organization, both in marketing for volunteers, and building a relationship with the Directorate of Health and Wellness in the Tshwane University of Technology, with the hope of creating a long partnership which will be mutually beneficial to the two organizations in future.
By: Naledi Mokopakgosi
SUBSTANCE ABUSE SEMINAR & FIRST THINGS FIRST PROGRAM: TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, DIRECTORATE OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS
The IKAMVAYOUTH Mamelodi tutors attended a Substance Abuse Seminar held at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) on 20th August, organized by the Directorate of Health and Wellness, as means to open up a panel to discuss this issues which most commonly affects young people. The Seminar was attended by more than 200 students and various organizations. It began at around 10:00 whereby the attendees were first treated to breakfast, the guests were formally welcomed by the event organizers. The key reasons for the substance abuse seminar include the following:
- To define in detail what substance abuse is
- To engage and comprehend about the punishments for various uses of illegal drugs
- To get in detail the symptoms of substance abuse
- To address the causes leading to substance abuse
- To formulate solutions to gunner the issue, especially amongst youth, those in academics
- To give information on how and where to receive help for the issue
‘’I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so badly indulge, it has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason, it has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom” Edgar Allan one of the keynote speakers.
Summary of the key information gleaned from the Seminar
Substance abuse, also referred to as drug abuse, is a patterned utilization of drugs in which the user consumes the substance in large quantities, or with methods that may be harmful to them or those around them. Some of the commonly abused substances / drugs are; heroin, cocaine, crack, alcohol, hallucinogens, and marijuana, and they respectively have their various punishment methodologies by law according to whether you are a user or distributor (sellers). Young people are the common victims of substance abuse. In order to help the sick we first must go back in time and recover their medical history, and begin to try and thoroughly fathom what is causing the chaos / dilemma, and this too must be applied to the subject matter in hand, before we begin to lambaste, criticize, or even attempt to help those that are victims of this issue we need to first find the roots of the matter, the causes behind why one is abusing drugs.
There are certain life circumstances more especially in young people, or young users which are the leading factors of substance abuse. Drug abuse is often said to be related to peer pressure, but it is important to note one fundamental factor which is prominent in drug abuse, far more brutal than peer pressure, the fact that drugs are utilized to serve as an escape from the world of reality, trying to escape from the reality of an abusive parent, an abusive spouse, financial burdens, the perceived world of lack of success, an unstable household and many more. Of scientific evidence that probably leads to drug abuse there is so far insufficient information to raise or make a concrete case that neuroscience, or genetics somehow have a role to play.
Our surroundings have a huge impact on the kinds of people we become, it influences our codes of conduct, and what we perceive as a prosperous or the ideal life, media hence being one of the platforms in which we acquire most of our information has too added fuel to the subject matter, young people often model what they see on TV, from their role models, and quite often our media promotes the use of drugs both directly and indirectly, be it through music and or through movies / TV Series. So, media has been spotted as one of the factors contributing to this social ill.
In order to tackle the issue of drug abuse we thus need to contemplate and thoroughly comprehend the above mentioned causes and those not mentioned, the leading indicators leading to substance abuse. There are various organizations that have a mandate of helping those that are going through the challenge of substance abuse.
Amongst some of the speakers we had:
- Tshwane Metropolitan: who supplied information on the various forms of illegal drugs which are commonly used in society; the types of punishment that is associated with each respective form of illegal drug, and the judicial process which partakes when one is found using drugs, in possession, or selling them. Information and examples were given on some of the cases the metropolitans have had to deal with or are dealing with. They further stretched why engaging in drugs is dangerous and often joins with other forms of crimes.
- Howard Zondo (motivational speaker and IKAMVAYOUTH Grade 12 Learner): Howard being a grade 12 learner and an author gave a talk about drug abuse from a viewpoint of not only of a learner, not only a young person, but that of a leader in society. He incorporated the effects of drug abuse to a variety of elements in our society, more especially in poor communities, such being the issue of unemployment, lack of knowledge pertaining the subject matter, and he further communicated to the students that, as academics they have a pivotal role in society in curbing the issue of drug abuse amongst the many social ills that society is faced with, that they need to take a leadership role in making our communities a desirable place to reside in.
Some of the key questions asked during the Question and Answers session:
- What are the common symptoms of drug abuse?
- Do women and men have the same alcohol tolerance?
- How do we de-associate fun with alcohol?
- How do certain cultural practices lead to drug abuse amongst youth?
- Which organizations help those with drug abuse problems?
- How much alcohol consumption is allowable for someone to drive after drinking?
A great deal of knowledge was spread amongst the attendees pertaining to the issue of drug abuse, amongst the many things that stood out from the event was the talk and motivation bestowed to the attendees by Howard Zondo, he left the crowd amused as to what it means to walk the walk and talk the talk, to be a leader, a change in perception resulted from the event for most of the attendees. A great deal of social norms and perceptions were brought to demise by the seminar.
tutor training/ team building
On the 16th of September 2017 IkamvaYouth Mamelodi branch held a team building session/ tutor training. The team building was facilitated by Zoe Mann, it started at 09:30 to 14:00, the session consisted of the volunteer tutors and the branch staff, in total there were 42 participants.
The purpose of the team building/ tutor training was for the volunteers to familiarise themselves with one another, with the leadership/ staff of the branch, to discuss some of the challenges pertaining to the various programs offered, and more importantly to get to thoroughly comprehend what Ikamva is, what it stands for, its values and the organizational culture.
The day began with a brief introduction of each individual in attendance through an icebreaker, then each member articulated briefly their expectations for the day.
The first activity of the day, participants were given a task of walking around and briefly engaging with the next person on how their journey to Ikamva began, be it starting from their home on that day to Ikamva, be it starting from the day they became alumni, be it the day they became part of the branch staff and many more.
The participants were put into groups of 5 people, and instructed to articulate some of the greatest challenges they face pertaining tutoring in whatever aspect, and some of the things that frustrate them within the organisation on a daily basis, and in their respective groups they were given an opportunity to present their observations, what they had written down, and to motivate where clarity was imperative, so a dialogue was in place for the activity.
Some of the burning issues were:
- Learners expecting tutors to do their work instead of helping them understand
- How to deal with ill discipline
- Punctuality challenges, both for learners and tutors
- The loitering of tutors during tutoring
- Tutors not being truthful about their reimbursement money
- Lack of communication between tutors and the branch staff
Upon completion of the first task the follow up task was to articulate solutions to the given challenges, so the groups convened yet again to discuss how the above mentioned challenges and more can be solved, and what can be some of the innovative ways of moving the organisation forward.
Over and above, the purpose of the team building session and expectations were met, out of the challenges, innovative ways and strategies of solving the challenges were put in place, and the relevant people( portfolio heads) together with the branch staff given a mandate of ensuring that the strategies be implemented going forward. We thoroughly comprehend that transformation takes time, thus it was agreed that five strategies out of the articulated be chosen for implementation this year, given the fact that we have new staff members, the fact that the solutions/ strategies are many and implementing them all at once will be chaotic, and lastly given the fact that the year is almost over.
A morning of fun, hard work and victory
On Saturday, 30 September, the Nyanga tutors and staff embarked on a journey to hike up Lion’s Head in Cape Town. The Lion’s Head mountain peak is best known for its rocky and somewhat steep hiking trail. It also overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and provides great views of Cape Town. The group was armed with water, Powerade and fruit for the journey ahead. At 7am, the hike began just as the morning sun was starting to warm up. There were both feelings of excitement and anxiety amongst the group. The trail started off on a very steep note and it soon became clear that things were getting serious.
It did not take long to separate the ‘A’ team from the ‘B’ team. The ‘A’ team maintained a steady lead from the beginning until the end. On the other hand, the ‘B’ team made sure to take regular breaks and to soak in the beautiful Cape Town scenery. It was also quite a busy morning on the trail, with many groups going up and coming down. This was a source of inspiration for the team; especially when the journey seemed to be getting tougher.
One of the biggest challenges of the day was overcoming one’s own fears. It was the will to continue pushing yourself even when your legs were telling you to give up. If you were not able to push yourself, team members stepped in to motivate you to continue going forward, no matter how hard it seemed.
We are proud to announce that every Ikamvanite made it to the summit. The hike itself was mentally and physically challenging, more so for those of us who do not exercise on a regular basis. It was through teamwork, mutual support and guidance that each of us were able to make it all the way to the top. The moment of victory was indeed sweet.
After basking in our individual and group victory, it was time to head down again. For most of the team, going down the peak was even more challenging than going up. However, with continued support from each other, we all made it safely down. No member was left behind or left to fend for themselves at any point.
As a teambuilding activity, the hike achieved and surpassed all the expected outcomes. The Ikamvanites started and finished as a team. One of the tutors used a quote by Nelson Mandela to describe their journey: “It always seems impossible until it’s done”. This is indeed true for all of us who accepted the challenge. The Nyanga branch challenges other branch tutors to take this journey!!
On Saturday, 2 September 2017, 45 Ikamvanites from the Ivory Park and Ebony Park branches had the pleasure of being taken through Andy Warhol’s “Unscreened” exhibition, held at the Wits Arts Museum. We are grateful for this opportunity which was made possible by Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofAML), who sponsored the spectacular exhibition in collaboration with Wits.
While admiring the array of original pieces of artwork, the learners were privileged to have been given a private tour of the exhibition. They had a chance to interrogate the meticulous screenprint style of each painting. The paintings, which featured recognisable icons such as, Marilyn Monroe, Muhammed Ali, Mickey Mouse, Superman, and an animated self-portrait of the artist (Andy Warhol), seemed different from the styles of artwork in the gallery. The vibrant pop of colour and intentional use of angles was a style regarded to have transgressed the normal boundaries of what art was in the 1960s, yet was made popular by Warhol.
The tour included reflective exercises which challenged the learners to think about the intentions Warhol may have had in producing the screenprints. The exercises made the learners think about the history behind each painting and the significance of the political and social influences of the time.
The learners also had the chance to create their own art by drawing popular brands that they enjoy using on a daily basis and presenting back to the group about why they chose those items. This showed the influence of media and pop-culture on people, how we behave in our time, and how the role of media and pop-culture had on Warhol.
The exhibition was concluded by learners hanging personal messages reflecting on the exhibition on beams which previous visitors of the exhibition had an opportunity to put up. Many of the learners considered the exhibition fun, eye opening and a chance to get in touch with how they can breakdown norms in their own lives, whether it is through art or other ways in which they can express themselves and showcase who they are. We hope that one day we will have an opportunity to hear, see and learn of our Ikamvanites on platforms as big as the one we were invited to witness.
Ramadhani Urimubandi, a grade 11 from the Ivory Park branch, spoke highly of the tour and explained that, “although some of us are not interested in the arts, such as drawing and painting, it was educational and we got to learn the basics of the painting style and Andy Warhol. Besides the exhibition, I had the interest of seeing more of the whole building and see how the staff work in the entire WITS building, maybe next time we can view the campus.”
The excursion increased the learners’ curiosity about the spaces in which they will possibly study and work in one day. IkamvaYouth looks forward to exploring opportunities, such as University campus tours and one-on-one mentoring sessions with professionals etc with Bank Of America. We believe that this will awaken the career interests of learners and encourage learners to embark on educational pathways to eventually realise their dreams.
Upcoming events at the branch in September:
25 September 2017 – Heritage Day Celebration Workshop with WITS Psychology Postgraduate Students and grade 11 Learners
We believe these events are a culmination of the vision to lead learners to identify their significance in the spaces they live in, i.e. school, home etc, and take ownership and responsibility for the opportunities that will lead them to a dignified life.
The branch is planning on building capacity within the branch by training tutors on how to enable learners from grades 9 to 12 to begin thinking about possible careers and begin their individual processes. This training will introduce them to practical online tools and resources that will equip them and support them.
We also aim to have a stronger Mentorship and Job Shadowing presence in the branch for the grade 11s and 12s, and we believe with timeous planning and involvement of external partners we can introduce learners to mentors that will support them more regularly in taking ownership of their lives post-matric.
Lloyd Lungu