IkamvaYouth has been selected to participate in All Star Slot’s #WinTheJackpot Charity Campaign. Our participation could see us winning a share of the $5750 jackpot!
All you have to do is vote for us by visiting https://www.allstarslots.com/competitions/win-the-jackpot and casting your vote between the 8th of February to the 8th of March 2016.
The winners will be announced on the All Star Slot’s website between the 15th and the 19th of March 2016.
All Star Slot’s describe themselves as a “socially conscious company and have a charity fund pool which we build up throughout the year through staff fund raising events as well as from contributions from our generous owner. In 2015 we raised $5,750 for the fund and want to use it to counter the bad reputation which casinos and gambling have by awarding it to a charitable cause.”
Get voting!
Martin Luther King Jnr once said “life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?”. On Saturday the 23rd of January 2016, the IkamvaYouth Ebony Park branch hosted it’s annual open day to kick start 2016,welcome parents, learners, volunteer, sponsor(ABI),mentors and further strengthen our brand presence in the Midrand.
Our MC, Mr Welshman Dube launched the day with a prayer,followed by an ice breaker to get everyone settled and later presented the “Funeka’s Story” which outlines how Ikamvayouth continues to assists high school learners with their academics.
Sarika Kisten from ABI explained how proud they are to partner with IkamvaYouth as it uplifts the youth of South Africa through education.Tzu Chi, gave a well-received testimony on education, community involvement and the activities that the Tzu Chi Foundation are involved in.
Percy Mabizela, one of our tutors, gave a motivational talk that focused on important life lessons the youth need to learn and apply from the beginning of the year. In his words “Self-awareness is about knowing your talent, your dreams, strengths and weaknesses.” He emphasised that once people know what they want to become in life, they must make decisions and choices that will bring about positive results.
In addition, two of our current Grade 11 Ikamvanites , Meyahabo Rapholo and Njabulo Mutle recited poems that outlined the importance of education and emphasized it’s benefits.
Kefilwe Maake who join IkamvaYouth in 2014 and obtained 5 distinctions,explained how Ikamvayouth assisted her to achieve these distinctions. Kefilwe extended her gratitude to ABI for the the financial and non-financial assistance the branch continues receive.
“Through with hard work and commitment it is very easy to excel in academics” – Kefilwe Maake
IkamvaYouth awarded learners for their commitment and dedication shown towards their studies. Ikamvanites were awarded for achieving 80% and above for attendance and received certificates for participation in Operation Fikelela through Siyakhula Computer School. Awards for the “learner of the Year”, “most improved learner” and certificates of participation were handed to the deserving learners and ABI further praised the learners who obtained distinctions for their respective subjects. At the end of the ceremony, all IkamvaYouth learners received gifts from IkamvaYouth and backpacks from ABI, to thank them for being part of this educational movement.
2016 has kicked off with a BANG and is set for producing more excellent results.
Ikamva Youth: The future is in our hands.
During the third term of 2015, IkamvaYouth carried out a feedback project, aimed at engaging our alumni community, and giving them the opportunity to participate in the development of the alumni programme going forward. The project included running an online survey which was completed by both 2015 matric learners and alumni (a total of 165), as well as two workshops: the first was in Gauteng on the 17th October 2015 (with 19 matric and alumni participants from Ivory Park and Ebony Park branches), and the other in Cape Town on the 27th November 2015 (with 10 matric and alumni participants from Makhaza and Nyanga branches). Here’s a sneak peak at the results:
The Good News…
- Alumni find our programmes helpful in preparing them for post-matric life
- They are proud advocates of the organisation
- They want to participate in alumni programmes
- They want to stay connected to IY and contribute in-kind as well as financially
But…
- Alumni can’t give back if they’re struggling (financially and otherwise)
- Not all the ideas offered are feasible: So we need to manage expectations
- IY needs to start supporting alumni not in tertiary (e.g. FET, unemployed, upgrading matric)
So, our next steps are to:
- Ensure communication and feedback of key issues between the alumni and IY
- Share opportunities (jobs/funding/study/etc.) via emails and social media
- Host Meet-Ups every term (incorporating needed skills workshops such as CV & Interview skills)
- Source/develop and share guides/booklets with important info (e.g. adjusting to university), and work with branch staff to ensure that these are shared (through workshops & talks) with matric learners
- Pilot a campus support structure in WC
- Promote the individual giving campaign among our alumni who are employed
For a more detailed look at the findings of this project, please
click here to access the full report.
Thank you so much to all the alumni who participated so enthusiastically in the survey and workhops!
Change is not quite easy, and Friday the 15th of January 2016 proved testament to that.
Alongside the branch staff and District office, were tutors and resident contractors who were assisting with the official move of the Ivory Park office.
Under a threateningly cloudy and occasionally sunny sky- cabinets, desks, files and kitchen appliances were the order of the day. Considering the challenges, with resilience, the team managed to move all the office property from one container to a brand new one.
Aching backs, scratched fingers and dusty shoes later, we managed to establish our new spot on the Kaalfontein Secondary School premises. If there is one thing to learn from this experience, is that you have to get up, and keep getting up!
Moyisi’s(Tutor) chants declaring his manhood kept us motivated and entertained, whilst Khutso (Tutor) and Lerato (Branch Coordinator) kept wondering about the condition of their nails, and multi-toned skin from being in the sun. We reminisced about the memories we made in our old container and the possibilities the new container will have for us.
At the end of the day we all need to appreciate that fresh beginnings mean new perspective and a brand new attitude.
To office moves and beyond, Ivory Park is looking forward to a productive 2016 with all its stakeholders.
Thank you to everyone who assisted in this big move!
The national matric pass rate dropped from 76% in 2014 to 71% for the class of 2015. And so it was with nerves and excitement that IkamvaYouth learners, volunteers, parents, staff and donors made their way to the organisation’s branches in ten townships across five provinces last week. However, with relief and celebration, the figures confirm that the collective efforts have paid off, and the Ikamvanites have shown that with hard work, peer support and committed volunteer tutors and mentors, the odds can be impressively overcome.
Highlights of Matric 2015
Although 87% of Ikamvanites attend no-fee schools in townships, they managed to succeed against the odds and consistently beat the national average matric results:
- 80% of Ikamvanites passed the matric exam compared to 71% nationally.
- 69% of Ikamvanites are eligible for tertiary study (achieving either bachelor or diploma passes) compared to 55% nationally
- 40% of Ikamvanites qualified to study for a bachelor’s degree at university compared to 26% nationally.
Ikamvanites choose to take more difficult subjects & do better than average:
- While nationally, only 41% of matrics take mathematics and of those only 49% pass; among Ikamvanites 51% take mathematics and 58% pass.
- While nationally, only 30% of matrics take physical science and of those only 59% pass; among Ikamvanites 39% take Physical Science and 67% pass.
Many learners achieved exceptional results. Chumisa Yaphi from Makhaza achieved 6 distinctions, and has been awarded a scholarship to study at UCT. She is weighing up her options at different institutions, and wants to study either Geology or Pharmacy. Read more about her achievement in the Q&A we did with her.
Most of the learners who did not manage to pass this year are eligible for supplementary exams (61%), and so their journey towards a matric pass is not yet over. They will be tutored at IkamvaYouth branches until they write these exams.
The organisation is particularly proud of branch performance in the notoriously poor-performing regions in Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape. The Umlazi branch is celebrating an 87% pass, with 74% eligible for tertiary (39% bachelor and 35% diploma), while the Chesterville branch achieved an 89% pass (27% bachelor and 50% diploma).
Ntombikayise Mjaja, a parent at the Umlazi branch, thanked IkamvaYouth’s donors, volunteers and staff for their initiative, saying “our children are achieving because of this work; we have seen the improvements, and we are so proud of them”.
Bongane Chavane, who joined the Umlazi branch in grade 10 when he was failing Maths and Life Sciences, said that, “the matric exams were of high standard, but with IkamvaYouth in my corner I managed to get a Bachelor Pass that I am very proud of. Today I am very proud to have passed Maths with 70% and Life Science with 72%. IkamvaYouth is a programme aiming at helping pupils with their future, and this year I am going to study Geological Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and also give back to this programme by becoming a tutor.
Despite challenges including lacking access to electricity, water and sanitation, as well as Maths and Physics teachers, the Joza branch just outside of Grahamstown achieved an 81% pass (33% bachelor and 24% diploma). Khonaye Mpofana joined IkamvaYouth when he was in grade 11, as he had poor results in grade 10, and was unsure about his post-school career options. He is now celebrating being one of the top matric achievers at his school, and is going on to study Psychology at Rhodes university.
Here’s a graph comparing Ikamvanites bachelor passes against the national averages in the Eastern Cape:
Learners from the class of 2015 are going on to study a range of important fields that will equip them with the skills they need to build South Africa, including medicine, engineering, social work, and Information Technology. In addition, they are also committed to paying forward the support they received; and many of them are returning to volunteer as tutors, and uplift more learners as they rise.
IkamvaYouth has maintained a matric pass rate of between 80 and 100% each year since 2005, and true credit for these results must go to the learners, volunteers, the staff, partner organisations and donors.
“IkamvaYouth would like to express particular thanks to our remarkable volunteers and IkamvaYouth’s five largest donors in 2015: Amalgamated Beverage Industries, Omidyar Network, Capitec Bank, Montpelier Foundation and ELMA Foundation. Without these and all of the other wonderful donors, these results would not be possible. We appreciate your support hugely and are looking forward to continuing to working with you in the years to come,” says chairperson Leigh Meinert.
For more information on IkamvaYouth, please see our 2014 Annual Report. If you would like to donate to IkamvaYouth, please do so via Given Gain or Global Giving or contact: alex@ikamvayouth.org.
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This video is for you, our supporters. Thank you for being a part of IkamvaYouth!
Lloyd Lungu