The months of June, July and August have been good to the Ebony Park branch. IkamvaYouth has managed to implement its programmes and achieve its goal of ensuring learners receive the necessary information which will prepare them for their journeys in life.
IkamvaYouth Ebony Park branch invited several service providers; Stock Shop, Rivers Foundation, Dr Khubeka, and had a visit to CCBSA plant. The branch’s goal for the term was to incorporate all its programmes and ensure that learners were exposed to career guidance, mentoring, job shadowing and life skills workshops. On the 23rd of July, Ikamvanites in Gauteng had the opportunity to engage with Stock Shop, an organization that empowers young individuals about the financial world and their own personal journeys. Ikamvanites were also graced by the presence of Luvuyo, a Chartered Accountant who gives back to the community by motivating and sponsoring young males who wish to pursue accounting studies. Luyuvo’s motivation was based on the interest learners had in accounting studies. Furthermore, A connect group, Rivers Foundation, of professionals from different departments ranging from Accountants, Directors, IT Technicians and many more visited the Ebony Park branch to celebrate their 67 minutes of Mandela day with IkamvaYouth learners by tutoring and sharing information on their professions.
Chris Dykes, a learning facilitator, facilitated a workshop for Ikamvanites in grade 11 and 12 on the 14th of August. The workshop focused on how the brain works and on how to study smart not hard. Sechaba Mosia, a grade 12 learner had this to say “I have learned how my brain can really catch up and how to study and also the difference between headings, subheadings and sub-subheadings.” A job shadowing opportunity at Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa was the next stop. The process of knowledge is one that is divided into two, inspiration and information thus the Ebony Park branch in association with CCBSA set off to one of the largest Coca cola plants in the world in the quest for knowledge. The name Coca Cola is one synonymous to greatness, however, the humble beginnings and the story behind the brand is one that is not echoed to ordinary citizens.
Learners were warmly welcomed and taken into a lecture room by Thembi Sithole where the process of thorough inspiration and information took place. Firstly, a video about the brand was played followed by a question and answer session with learners. Upon hearing that the product dated all the way back to 1892 “ahhhhs” buzzed around d the lecture room. At the end of the video, “Who created Coca Cola?” was an immediate question asked by Sphamandla Ndlovu a grade 10 Ikamvanite, the question was thrown to all the learners, after moments of hesitations “Pemberton” (Dr John S. Pemberton) was shyly shouted only for the rest of the group to join in much to the amusement of the facilitator.
After a session of explaining and giving theories, learners were taken around the plant and shown the entire processes of creating the product from packaging to bottling. As this wasn’t enough for Ikamvanites, the branch together with its branch committee organized a career hour on the 10th of September. The career hour was meant to avail professionals to visit the branch and engage in a dialogue session where learners get to know the day to day duties of different careers and all the information needed to survive in that particular profession. The branch invited professionals from different organizations like Standard Bank and SAMSI. There were also psychologist, lawyers, statisticians, an environmentalist, corporate managers and bankers present.
As we work towards uplifting the youth from disadvantaged communities, the Ebony park branch has achieved its goal of ensuring that learners received the necessary tools to use as they challenge the life ahead.
Five of the grade 11 learners from Kuyasa branch, Nandipha Mnani, Khanya Mabeke and Bongile Mfikili, represented Siphamandla Senior Secondary School to take part in the annual school mathematics challenge. This year, our learners got a chance to compete with a number of 65 schools from various areas in Western Cape, as well as compete under immense pressure. We are proud to announce that Ikamvanites secured the 6th place in the competition. We are ecstatic of their achievement.
Above Photo: The Sphamandla Secondary School Learners
During the same day, two of our Ikamvanites, Ntomboxolo Kraqa and Vuyisanani Mkhize, were part of selected 25 top achieving learners. The selection was from 2 high schools in Khayelitsha recognizing the academic excellence of the learners. Their hard work was rewarded with a restful weekend getaway at a 5 star hotel in Newlands to celebrate their success.
Photo Above: Vuyisanani (Left) and Ntomboxolo (Right)
We would like to thank IkamvaYouth volunteers who spent time after school to help prepare these diverse learners to improve academic achievement across ability levels and content areas.
We are very proud of the Ikamvanites as well as the rest of the selected learners.
You have all done IkamvaYouth proud!
The Mamelodi Ikamvanites braved the early morning iciness of winter to come to Winter School during the June holidays. After heating up their bodies through ice-breakers and tea, they got to work. Past papers, exercises, quizzes, discussions and games, you name it, we did it in an effort to prepare for the new academic term by revising all of the work the Ikamvanites had done earlier in the year and struggled with. Various organisations and individuals also came in daily to discuss issues outside of the classroom. We had motivational speakers, an image consultant even a yoga specialist to name a few. The proverbial cherry that came on top of the cake that was all the hard work and effort of the students, was the Talent show at the end of the second week of winter school in which the learners got the chance to show off their more creative talents outside of the classroom. All in all, Winter School was a resounding success that we can all be very proud of. Well done Ikamva!
After Winter School, the Matric pupils joined us for a week of preparations aimed solely at the matric learners. As the Matrics draw nearer and nearer to their final exams, they understand the need to place a greater emphasis on their studies. The class of 2016 came prepared with work and enthusiasm and a willingness to learn anything and everything they could, before the third term started. By the end of the week, the Matrics were exhausted from all the hard work but come Finals, they’ll be more than ready to tackle any academic challenges that they are faced with!
With the election right around the corner, many South Africans have been discussing choices. The idea that we are responsible for deciding the future of our great nation. The Ikamvanites made a choice when they came into the program at the start of the year. They chose to believe in success. They chose to believe in a future where education provides the tools with which one can ultimately achieve one’s dreams. They chose to believe in themselves. And as we head towards the second half of what has turned out to be an adventurous and exciting year, it is up to us, the people who make Ikamva a pillar of hope in a community plagued by issues like nyoape and blessers, to choose success yet again. As former President, Nelson Mandela, once said, “[e]ducation is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” By choosing to invest in their futures, Ikamvanites are arming themselves with the tools that they’ll need when they battle a world in which knowledge is power.
It is week 7 of tutoring, we are sitting in our Atlantis office and thinking, “we have come this far!” Of course, we still have a long way to go but if you think of the time when we first introduced IkamvaYouth to the community of Atlantis in June, presenting to schools and community forums, we had no idea how things would pan out as much as we had tried to plan for everything.
Tutor Orientation/Training 23 July
6-7 weeks ago on the 23rd of July 2016, IY Atlantis held its first tutor training/orientation day at IkamvaHouse in Salt River. This was the first time that the Atlantis superheroes met and they immediately hit it off! The Community Collaboration Department were the head facilitators for the day, Zoe Mann & Pepe Hendricks, and they hosted the training for the first time IkamvaYouth tutors. The tutoring methodology/pedagogy was the main topic of the day but the Superheroes also had a chance to be introduced to the history, vision & mission, values and the IkamvaYouth Model.
Andile Miya, a final year law student from UWC said, “I had no idea, how much detail goes into tutoring. Especially having to balance transferring information without coming across like a teacher and using the right questioning.” After a whole 5 hour training/orientation, the Superheroes were confident to go and begin tutoring the Atlantis Ikamvanites.
IkamvaYouth Atlantis Orientation Day
The day we had been waiting for had arrived, kickoff time! Saturday morning, 10am; it was a lovely sunny day in Atlantis and the Proteus Secondary School Hall was filling up with curious parents and eager learners, ready to hear about the branch.
Mr Smith, a science teacher at Proteus Secondary School, welcomed all who were in attendance and urged the parents to hear out what IkamvaYouth had to say. Simone Peinke, our Western Cape District Coordinator, kicked off the programme by sharing a bit of background about IkamvaYouth. Yanga Totyi, the Atlantis Branch Coordinator, talked about the programmes IkamvaYouth offers emphasing the core of the programme which is Tutoring as well as covering the Career guidance and Mentoring aspects of the programme.
The audience was then engaged on what the factors they had in mind that will make the programme a success. One of the parents mentioned that commitment from the learner, the parents and IkamvaYouth will make a big contribution, the community is one filled with challenges but all stakeholders should unite in the spirit of making this work! Afterwards, the parents had a chance to sign a pledge poster which will serve as a reminder that WE WILL MAKE IKAMVAYOUTH ATLANTIS WORK!
First Week Of Tutoring
First time Ikamvanites gathered at Proteus High School, eager and ready to begin with this much anticipated programme. Andile Miya, Chante van der Merwe, Namhla Kantolo, Phathiswa Silwana had their capes on, ready to begin with the agenda for the week and finally, it all began.
This is what a few Ikamvanites had to say;
“We hope that IkamvaYouth can help us learn how to learn. We are happy that this programme came to our community and we are ready to work hard to make sure that we do better in our studies.”
– Clyde Muller, Grade 10 Proteus Secondary School Learner
“If you look at our community, our peers are joining gangs and participating in a lot of bad activities. I could be there with them but I chose my education first and that is why I joined IkamvaYouth. We want IkamvaYouth to help us become something one day!”
– Marlin Cupido, Grade 11 Proteus Secondary School Learner
“It is such a cool thing interacting and learning with learners from a different school. We get to share the different explanations we get in class and explaining to one another makes it easier to remember the work.”
– Amber Donson, Grade 11 Atlantis Secondary School Learner
Despite the branch being far from Cape Town, superheroes came to make sure these learners get help. Nerves & excitement are to be expected in the beginning of something new and through all of that, Ikamvanites made it through week one and they were encouraged more than ever to make it work!
Today…
It’s week 7 and here we are again, ready to begin with another week of tutoring. We look forward to what the week brings and we also look forward to the very first parent meeting on Saturday.
Really the Ikamvanites are MAKING IT WORK!
On Saturday, 27th August 2016, we received a surprise visit from one of our Accounting tutors, Nosipho Mjiyakho who works for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). This was not just an ordinary visit, Nosipho was sent by PwC to drop off stationery for all our learners at the branch. This was really exciting news for us as we know that our learners are in need of stationery so we were also excited as staff to share the news with the learners.
The stationery donation included exercise books, flip files, exam pads, pens, rulers, erasers, pencils and even calculators. We are so grateful to PwC for this gift because it will really be helpful for all our learners.
We distributed the stationery packs to our grade 9 and 10 learners on Monday the of 29th of August and to our grade 11 and 12 learners on Tuesday the 30th of August. The learners were all smiles after receiving their stationery as this was really unexpected. After the Post Mandela Day Celebration at the branch earlier this month, we did not expect that PwC would come back to the branch so soon. We are really grateful.
One of our grade 9 learners, Ayakha Ndzuzo said: “PwC has really helped me with the stationery, I am grateful and cannot wait for the PwC employees to visit the branch again so that I can say thank you in person”
The Nyanga branch is thankful to PwC, its employees and our amazing superhero tutor Nosipho Mjiyakho.
Lloyd Lungu