Kamogelo Lebone Bakai is a learner from Ikageng in the North West. He achieved a bachelors pass and a distinction in the 2015 matric exams.
Kamogelo plans on pursuing a BCom Law degree at the University of the North West.
This is his account of his matric and IkamvaYouth experience.
I remember in 2014 when I received my results confirming my progression to Grade 12.The mixture of excitement and fear, excited because you are going to your last grade and fear because of the external pressures of what people expect of you and what you expect of yourself.
When I began classes in January 2015 I was already mentally fit and determined enough to study hard to pass all my subjects. The teachers kept reminding us to work hard and reiterated that we stay focused and prepared as if we were writing finals. I followed their advice promptly and ensured emotional, spiritual, physical and mental aspects sync.
The reason why I worked hard and emotionally and mentally prepared myself was because I lost both parents and live with my grandmother and grandfather. Throughout every drama and obstacle I faced, IkamvaYouth was like my second home and a space where I felt most liberated and accepted. The tutors were forever welcoming and both the Branch Assistant and Coordinator were always available to help us.
Now… I am done with heavy school bags and my forever-needing-washing school uniform.
So I walked on all those unknown rocky streets and I am still on my journey to a better road with fresh smelling scenery for my view.
WHAT’S THE POINT OF LIVING IF YOU DON’T FEEL ALIVE?
On the 6th of January 2016 (Matric results day) we had a laughter-filled chat with Chumisa Yaphi from Makhaza in the Western Cape. She obtained 6 distinctions (including in Maths and Physical Science) in the final exams and is planning on studying Geology or Pharmacy. Chumisa joined IkamvaYouth in Grade 9 and has been attending regularly for four years. Here at IkamvaYouth we couldn’t be prouder of her impressive results!
So, you got very good marks. 6 Distinctions, that’s amazing! Did you know it was going to happen?
No, when I was writing the exam, I wasn’t sure if I was doing great but I expected to get a bachelors pass. I just wasn’t sure what my marks would be. It was a big surprise when I checked my results from my phone and saw I had 6 distinctions.
What do you want to study?
I applied to study Geology or Pharmacy at UCT, UWC and WITS.
You aren’t worried that you’ll get into WITS and have to move far away?
(Chumisa laughs) No I’m not worried. (More laughter) It’s fine. I’ll look at what seems like the better offer and pick that.
What role did IkamvaYouth play for you to get these really good marks?
IkamvaYouth has helped me to be able to express myself in English, and be confident to share my views. It has also improved my computer literacy in terms of how to search for information. IkamvaYouth has also provided me with extra material like answer series study guides, question papers, online videos and material etc. That has helped me improve my grades. IkamvaYouth has given me opportunities to visit different universities to get a better understanding about my career choices. Through tutoring, I have gained the spirit of giving back because I see how dedicated our tutors are, they ensure that they take out their time just to come and help us. I myself also help my peers as much as I can and therefore i have been able to get understanding as I explain as well.
Did you apply for NSFAS?
Yes I did but I also got a scholarship from UCT
Well done! We wish you all the best.
Thank you.
Here are a few words from her mentor, Mike Mulcahy, CEO at Green Cape, when he wrote to IkamvaYouth about Chumisa:
‘I had nothing to do with her success, that was her hard work and the support that she has received from Ikamva, her teachers, her family and her own determination and hard work. I just wanted to say thanks for the opportunity for getting to meet and spend time with her. I am bursting with pride for how well she has done.’
We are proud of our Masinites who achieved a 79% pass rate this year.
4% of them got a National Higher Certificate pass, 38% a Diploma pass and 38% a Bachelor pass.
We are wishing them all the best for their development in future.
After an eventful and successful 2015 it was time to honour and appreciate Chesterville tutors who played a first-hand role in assisting the kids in passing and improving their marks. Tutors openly volunteer their time and knowledge to the children without any monetary compensation expectations. The least we could do as a branch was to show love and appreciation.
It was a unanimous decision that we all go out to Galleria Mall for lunch and games, just to relax and have fun, and for the tutors to get an opportunity to unwind while building stronger relationships with each other, and with staff, as a team. After the delicious and filling meal, the tutors were handed hampers containing an IkamvaYouth branded hoodie, a thank you letter and a small goodie inside. The tutors had been divided into teams earlier, and were asked to create a name for themselves and form a war cry for their team. After the lunch and mini prize giving, we then played a remarkable game of tenpin bowling the members of each team started teaching themselves and each other how to bowl, it truly was a fun experience as teams were cheering each other and smiles and laughter was shared. By the end of the session some were looking like semi-pros, while the rest of us were merely just enjoying the thrill of knocking down as many pins as our hands could possibly manage, however minimum they were.
We then capped off the day by playing some arcade games which everyone seemed to love, well the screams of excitements and game reflexes were enough for us to draw that conclusion. Some people obviously flourished more than others in the gaming department, but the end result was the same which was people having massive amounts of memorable fun together as the IY family. Not only was it a successful tutor appreciation but it also became a team building adventure which brought forth excitement and smiles.
Gciniwe Zulu one of the tutors shared her excitement “the day was good and indeed it was an awesome trip, we enjoyed ourselves by playing games, being together as the IY family. It was a way to know each other as tutors.
IY has been really good to me, it helps us with school work and also gets us feeling better about ourselves, although sometimes it can be a pain in the neck but at the end of the day it’s really been helpful.
Winter school was totally epic and fun especially on our sports day. It was fantastic, there was this one fellow in the red team, who stood up on the ABI stage and was dancing; his name is Asanda Gumede Grade 11 learner, now soon to be in in Matric :D. He is pretty well known at IY, in fact a lot of people know him for his drama queen tendencies, laughing, making jokes those sort of things. I really enjoyed the sports day though.
Ikamva Youth helps us achieve our goals and what do I mean by that? Well let me tell you, IY helps learners especially matrics in entering university or any tertiary institution, even if you do not get accepted, no problem IY will help you no matter what. IY really helps everyone in the community to make their dreams come true through an educational foundation.
IY helps us with so many things, and I just want to give thanks to the staff, the tutors and sponsors, thank you for everything, it’s been real…
Credits to: Asanda Gumede
Lloyd Lungu