Ivory Park grade 10 learners on the 7th of March 2014 benefited from a Study Skills Workshop facilitated by Dr. Welcome Kubeka of the University of Johannesburg. Dr. Kubeka has been running these workshops since 2012, focusing mainly on grade 10 learners with the notion of building motivating learners as they cruise through high school.
‘’Our engagement with the Ikamva Youth (Ivory Park and Ebony Park) branches is on how to assist learners to study in a creative way. Hence we believe that empowering them with the academic study skills at an early stage (Grade 10) will contribute positively in their academic journey. The sessions which we offer to them cover critical study skills such as, Time management, taking notes, taking examinations (focusing on analyzing an assessment) and staying being motivated during their studies’’, says Dr. Kubeka.
His commitment and involvement with IkamvaYouth learners has seen participating learners being exceptionally focused on their school work resulting in improved marks and discipline.
“The teachings by Dr. Kubeka are motivational and skill building. I hope he continues to have these workshops with us as we learn things we never imagined in studying”, Mesile Kuthumela , a grade 10 learner who attended the workshop.
We give much thanks to Dr. Welcome Kubeka for his selfless commitment to IkamvaYouth programmes and his input in developing our learners, equipping them with life skills for a better future.
The 2015 First Black Girl Code at Wits sponsored by Thought Works
On the 7th of March the Ivory Park Branch was invited to the first Black Girls Code sponsored by one of our partners Thought Works at Wits.
The workshop started with the motivation from the guest of honor by the name of Khulekani, was born and breed in Ivory Park. She is a web designer at Absa and she studied Computer Sciences at the University of Cape Town.
After breakfast the girls were introduced to the world of computer applications. They were paired for the first challenge, figure skating with instructors called Elsa and Anna. The application was divided into stages, from the 1st stage to the 20th stage and at the completion of the last stage the participant was awarded a virtual certification of completion.
13:00 lunch was served; the girls indulged in and enjoyed the served meals. Before they could resume, the girls had to do a mini ice breaker just to get them ready for the next activity. The second activity was very insightful; the people from Thought works were showing the girls how to create their own applications and robots on their own devices using the support of Android.
“The world of computers is a world full of wonders” Buhle Byl IkamvaYouth Ivory Park Grade 11.
At the end of the event, Thought Works glamoured up our girls with the t-shirts and they looked beautiful, they couldn’t stop taking photos.
IkamvaYouth Ivory Park would like to thank Thought Works for the invitation; it was really nice to be part of those who attended.
The year 2015 has already started with an exciting new twist as the Ebony Park mentoring programme got a huge boost by partnering with Coaches and Mentors South Africa (COMENSA). This very valuable partnership will help to answer a lot of questions we have had on how a mentoring programme should be structured for it to be a success. COMENSA, a national organisation with which all professional coaches and mentors are supposed to register with, brings with them a wealth of knowledge, experience and hope that mentoring programmes at IkamvaYouth will get more recognition especially if the mentors recruited for this task are certified and accredited to carry out the process with the learners.
On the 28th of February, Ebony Park branch launched its mentoring programme for the year and welcomed mentors from COMENSA together with Andre Retief, a COMENSA facilitator and project coodinator who conducted an orientation workshop to explain the intentions of the programme and the way it was going to run throughout the year. At the end of the workshop learners were paired with their new mentors.
Andre Retief expressed his satisfaction with the proceedings of the day and was excited to be able to assist our eager learners. He expressed that this year would be a pilot and if COMENSA management is happy with the progress they would be more than willing to extend this assistance to the other branches, starting with the Ivory Park branch next year.
This is the first of many exciting things happening at the Ebony Park branch.
On the 23rd of January 2015, the IkamvaYouth Ivory Park branch entered into partnership with Charities Aid Foundation Southern Africa (CAFSA), which would see the Ivory Park branch and its host, Kaalfontein Secondary School benefit from development initiatives offered through CAFSA.
Among the things proposed to CAFSA through a partnership proposal drafted by IkamvaYouth were a mobile office and computer lab to be donated and stationed at Kaalfontein Secondary to benefit IkamvaYouth staff, volunteers, learners and the school, help with setting up of a library for the school and also to benefit Ikamvanites, painting and renovations on toilets and classrooms, paving and landscaping, office assets and stationary, volunteer mentors and tutors, learning aids, uniforms and sports equipment.
On the 3rd of March 2015 the Ivory Park branch and Kaalfontein secondary received a donation of stationary which was fairly shared between the two partners. Many thanks to CAFSA for the support given to IkamvaYouth in form of donation in stationary items listed below.
Item Quantity
Pens 29
Erasers 48 (12×4 cases)
Pencils 192 (28×8 cases)
Gule stick 9 (3×3 packs)
Oxford Dictionaries 2
Prestick 1 pack
Chalks 1 box
Exam pads 40
Mathematical Instruments 51 sets
Permanent Markers 12
A4 Ultra Office paper 1 pack (5×500 sheets)
Pencil Sharpener 1
In addition to the donations, CAFSA also invited Mentors from Shell JHB EVW Project who came on 3 March 2015 to mentor all grade 11 learners at Kaalfontein Secondary School. The Ivory Park branch coordinator (Clemence Msindo) was afforded a chance to liaise with Mrs Ntobeko Mogadime who is Shell SA’ Social Investment Manager for a possibility of having full time mentors from Shell SA for IkamvaYouth learners.
Many thanks to Elyjoy Ikunyua, Business Development Manager and Nandi Ngubeni, Client Support Officer at Charities Aid Foundation, for bringing this development initiative to IkamvaYouth and its partner, Kaalfontein Secondary School. “I am so honered to have hosted IkamvaYouth at my school, and now my school is benefiting through IkamvaYouth. I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with IkamvaYouth and great thanks to CAF and Shell SA for making this happen”, says Mr K.G Maduma, the Principal of Kaalfontein Secondary School.
IkamvaYouth joined various stakeholders on the 26th of February 2015 in a Community Engagement meeting organised by the University of Johannesburg’s Community Engagement Department.
The stakeholders meeting, attended in representation to IkamvaYouth by Clemence Msindo (Ivory Park Branch Coordinator) tackled various issues that affect education and developments as well as strategic objectives to counter attack these barriers. In attendance to meeting were representatives of civil organisations that support education around the Gauteng region, School principals and UJ student reps and officials who were all afforded a chance to present about their works.
IkamvaYouth was given a chance to present its works, successes and challenges. The presentation which included showcasing of the Funeka video left all delegates eager to know more about, and join hands with IkamvaYouth. Invitations were extended by at least three principals for IkamvaYouth to open branches close to their schools and were however encouraged to use the IkamvaYouth model on their own and with help from volunteers they manage to source out.
The UJ Community Engagement Manager Mrs Ernestine Meyer-Adams expressed concern over our works and shortage of volunteers and promised to do all she can to drive a concrete partnership with IkamvaYouth where we see UJ recruiting and transporting volunteers from all three UJ campuses around Johannesburg to nearby IkamvaYouth branches on every Saturday sessions. Efforts had been made for UJ to provide volunteer tutors at their expense in 2014 but later failed to mature due to challenges in lack of follow-ups due to staff turnout.
The Ivory park branch has submitted a partnership proposal as per request by UJ’s Community Engagement Department officials, Mrs Ernestine Meyer Adams and Community Engagement Liaison Specialist Mrs Rachel Monki Sebigi. We give much thanks to Dr Welcome Kubeka of the University of Johannesburg for his long time volunteering delivering study skills sessions with the Ivory Park and Ebony Park branches and for initiating IkamvaYouth’s involvement in UJ programmes.
Lloyd Lungu