IkamvaYouth celebrates 2013 matric results – 89% pass, 94% eligible for tertiary
Hailed as the class that has achieved the highest pass rate since the birth of the democratic government in 1994, 2012’s matriculants across South Africa achieved a pass rate of 78.2%.
With an 89% matric pass rate – 64% receiving a bachelor pass and a further 30% qualifying for diploma study – and 70 distinctions amongst its 154 matriculants, IkamvaYouth, an organisation that enables learners from poor communities to improve their marks, is proud that their class of 2013 has made a substantial contribution to the record.
The organisation’s director, Joy Olivier, is “simply thrilled” with the learners’ achievements. “IkamvaYouth is continuing to improve on its results while scaling”, she says. “With 60 more matrics than last year, we’ve managed to not only meet last year’s pass result, but more than double the number of bachelor passes achieved. This is very encouraging as we work towards achieving Vision 2030; which has every learner in South Africa reaching and passing matric, and then going on to access the post-school opportunities that set them on the path to earning a dignified living.”In 2013 seven branches had matriculants, with both Ivory Park (in Gauteng) and Umlazi (in KZN) producing their first matric cohort. IkamvaYouth’s Ivory Park branch marked this milestone with a jaw-dropping 100% pass mark, with 83% achieving a bachelors pass. Ivory Park branch ‘s top pupil, scored three distinctions in his final year of high school for Maths, Physical Science and Accounting.
Abongile Jojozi, from Chris Hani Secondary School, a learner at the Makhaza branch, said that aside from improving his results and achieving a whopping four distinctions, in Mathematics, Xhosa, Economics and Life Orientation, and narrowly missing out on distinctions in the rest of his subjects, the organisation taught him leadership and commitment.
“I knew I would get distinctions in Maths and Life Orientation because they are stuff that I practice everyday, I wanted to get good results but I was shocked at some of the results I got and I was even recognised as the top learner at my school.”
He plans to do a BSc at UCT, and is looking forward to volunteering as an IkamvaYouth tutor.
In congratulating the class of 2013, national co-ordinator Zamo Shongwe noted that “Ikamvanites have responded to the challenge to improve the pass rate in townships by showing that with extra work and focus, it can be done. We look forward to learners returning as tutors to give a hand up to other learners going through their paces at branches”
This has all been made possible by corporate, in-kind and individual donors who have invested in township youth and the spirit of IkamvaYouth: ABI, Capitec Bank, the TK Foundation, African Bank, Empower, the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund, DGMT, the Raimondo family trust, the Learning Trust, the Potter foundation, GDF Suez, ABSA; the many in-kind donors that avail space (municipal libraries, schools, community centres and universities) and learning resources (the Answer Series, Fundza) and countless other organisations, companies and individuals. It is thanks to these and many others, and the hundreds of committed volunteers, that IkamvaYouth is able to offer programmes in tutoring, career guidance and mentoring, computer literacy and lifeskills education. IkamvaYouth equips learners (the Ikamvanites) from disadvantaged communities with the knowledge, skills, networks and resources to access tertiary education and/or employment opportunities once they matriculate. IkamvaYouth aims to increase the collective skill level of the population, to grow the national knowledge base, and to replicate success in more communities.
The IkamvaYouth model draws from a large and growing pool of volunteers made up of students (from nearby universities) and local professionals. The organisation’s sustainability is driven by ex-learners who gain entrance to tertiary institutions and return to tutor. More than half of the volunteers at longer-established branches are ex-learners. Ikamvavanites are thus driving change as they develop from beneficiaries into benefactors.
BREAKDOWN OF IKAMVAYOUTH 2013 MATRIC RESULTS:
GAUTENG
Ivory Park (first matric cohort!): 100% pass, 83% bachelor, 17% diploma, 12 distinctions
Ebony Park: 94% pass, 62% bachelor, 34% diploma, 16 distinctions
KWAZULU-NATAL
Chesterville: 82% pass; 44% bachelor, 48% diploma, 23 distinctions
Umlazi (first matric cohort): 83% pass; 40% bachelor, 47% diploma, 3 distinctions
WESTERN CAPE
Makhaza: 83% pass; 64% bachelor, 28% diploma, 12 distinctions
Nyanga: 93% pass; 85% bachelor, 15% diploma, 3 distinctions
Masi: 89% pass; 88% bachelor, 1 distinction
MORE ABOUT IKAMVAYOUTH
IkamvaYouth is a non-profit organisation (established in 2003) that provides a volunteer driven, low cost and highly effective model of after-school tutoring and mentorship in resource-poor communities. It has branches in five provinces in South Africa: in Khayelitsha, Nyanga and Masiphumelele in the Western Cape, Ivory Park and Ebony Park in Gauteng, Chesterville and Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal, Joza in the Eastern Cape, and Ikageng in the North West Province.
IkamvaYouth recently received the highly prestigious international STARS Impact Award for Education in Africa.
IkamvaYouth received this award while mindful of their Vision 2030, which sees all learners who start grade 1 in 2018, attaining a matric pass or the equivalent, and accessing the post school opportunities that set them on the path to earning a dignified living.
Issued by IkamvaYouth
For More Information Contact:
Media & Communication: Lorelle Bell, lorelle@ikamvayouth.org, 082 5201545
Director: Joy Olivier, joy@ikamvayouth.org
National Coordinator: Zamo Shongwe, zamo@ikamvayouth.org, 084 885 0004
2013 was a big year for IY, and it is with great pride (and relief!) that we can report, once again, our matrics’ excellent achievements. It is thanks to the superheroes who work or volunteer at IY, and those who support and enable this amazing team of people, that IY continues to deliver while growing significantly.
Overall, we achieved an 89% matric pass, and incredibly, 94% of these passes are diploma (30%) or bachelor passes (64%). With sixty more matrics than last year; two brand new branches established; a comprehensive survey of our alumni completed and all that went into our big ten year bash; the ikamvanites really pushed ourselves in our tenth year. And while having our work recognised by many accolades (including the STARS Impact award) is a great affirmation of all we put in, nothing makes it feel more worthwhile than sharing the excitement and joy with our learners as they celebrate the beginning of their shining bright futures.
But (as always at IY), there’s more to come. We still have two big hurdles to clear: the supplementary exams in march (all learners who failed and many of those who fell just short of the diploma or bachelor passes they were aiming for will be spending the coming weeks back with their books), and the all-important post-school placements. The next few weeks involve a lot of time on the phones and in queues at tertiary institutions, as we aim to ensure that all our learners enroll in the post-school opportunities that will set them on their career paths.
Our results by branch and province are as follows:
Gauteng
Ivory Park (first matric cohort!): 100% pass; 17% diploma & 83% bachelor
Ebony Park: 94% pass; 34% diploma & 62% bachelor
KZN
Chesterville: 82% pass; 48% diploma & 44% bachelor
Umlazi (first matric cohort): 83% pass; 47% diploma & 40% bachelor
Western Cape
Makhaza: 83% pass; 28% diploma & 64% bachelor
Nyanga: 93% pass; 15% diploma & 85% bachelor
Masi: 89% pass; 88% bachelor
Well done to everyone who made this happen!
The 30th of November 2013 was yet another spectacular event day for Ikageng branch. Excitement and anxiety had the best of most grade 11learners at Ikageng as the first mentorship programme waited launching on this particular day. Hosted by IkamvaYouth and ABI, the event opened up a wider range of opportunities for these young township learners as they got paired with a mentor to take them with advice and support throughout their high school career till at tertiary level. Clemence Msindo(IkamvaYouth) and Georgette Naidoo (ABI) coordinated the day’s activities energetically.
Excitement started building up after a motivational speech by Roston from ABI that followed talent revealing acts and presentations from learners and tutors. Patrick delivered a speech explaining the significance of learners having mentors and guidelines on how the programme would be run. 18 grade 11 learners were later paired with mentors using a random selection method whereby mentors were addressed separately and picked up learners of the same sex with them from a list provided to avoid other learners feeling inferior when they couldn’t get mentors that day. The idea was also to surprise learners as the names were called and each two strangers officially met to start a long professional relationship that will see the learners being guided with suggestions, ideas, advice and networks useful as they follow their career path.
It was indeed an exciting event seeing smiling faces taking each other through the first meeting that marked a record in the history of the Ikageng branch being the first mentoring programme in the first IkamvaYouth branch in the North West Province and the first mentoring programme involving our main sponsors ABI’ staff as mentors. The day was a successful learning platform for all parties. The mentors and learners were given one hour introducing and getting to know each other, exchanging contacts and signing commitment contracts to assure each other and seal the deal entered between the two. There is much hope that the 17 learners who could not get mentors on this day would be paired with their mentors by end of February 2014. A total number of 35 grade 11 learners are expected to complete grade 12 with required attendance and commitment.
Meanwhile the learners who were not receiving mentors were engaging into different traditional plays and activities waiting for the main Sports Day events after the mentorship programme launching. The sporting activities started with four houses being selected from which teams were chosen to compete against each other in various gaming activities, each team having 17 members.
The sack race officially opened up the games for the day. The rules were simple; “hop your way in a sack to the finishing point without tearing your sack”. Spectators from either side were shouting and chanting songs supporting their teams. The event was getting heated with every activity carried out.
The egg race spiced up the games adding excitement to the event. The idea was to cross the finishing line on the first position with an egg safely settled in a spoon. Every team bravely fought to out-compete another so they could collect the highest number of points.
The wheelbarrow race concluded the competitions taking all participants to the prize giving ceremony for the day. Surfaced under the sun on good weather, the day ended sooner than expected as the fun kept calling for more games. Prizes were of backpacks, and were presented by ABI to team members from each side, who had collected highest marks than others. Special thanks to our sponsors ABI for gladly hosting the event as well as providing lunch and drinks that quenched everyone’s thirst. The day marked an official and successful year-end for the Ikageng Branch, leaving great expectations of embracing the year 2014 with much hope of taking on other IkamvaYouth programmes soon, with renewed strength and pride as Ikamvanites.
*Image by Matthew Willman Photography
It is with great pride and thanksgiving that IkamvaYouth salutes late former president, Nelson Mandela.
We honour a formidable statesman who fought tirelessly for the freedom of our nation. He has left an impeccable example and we are privileged to have been graced by his presence and sacrifice.
IkamvaYouth shares Madiba’s heart for children and education and endeavour to implement the many values he left behind.
Here is what some of our staff had to say in reflection and remembrance:
It is due to Madiba’s vision for our country that we do the work we do, and indeed are even able to work together, side by side. We’re so fortunate to be living in this time. Our generation is doubly blessed: we have lived to see incredible changes in our country, and we have the opportunity to contribute towards realising the vision that sparked them. Equality between races, socio-economic transformation, justice and peace are the ultimate outcomes of vision 2030, and I feel so honored to be working towards these ideals with each of you.
– Joy Olivier, Director
As Ikamvanites, we agree with Madiba that ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’. We keep saying education is the passport out of poverty; the youth pulling themselves and each other out of poverty through education; and in our vision for 2030 we have declared a dignified living for all youths through education.
– Patrick Mashanda, Gauteng District Coordinator
It has been unbelievably sad…we knew this day would come. It’s been a highly emotional time of reflection for many people. It makes one evaluate his/her life; Mandela has been the epitome of service and humility; what most of us aspire to be but all we can ever hope to do is to try our best. Looking back at the choices one has made; I would say that working for IY is the right choice; a meaningful and worthy cause. Thank you to all who have made it possible. In his inaugural speech; May 1994; he said “We enter into a covenant that we shall build a society in which all South Africans; both black and white; will be able to walk tall; without any fear in their hearts; assured of their inalienable right to human dignity-a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world”. Joy how old were you then? Nine years after that speech you and Makhosi became a practical part of that covenant; setting in motion a process of acquiring dignity for all; through education…it may not be the easiest way of life; but we all know that it is the most rewarding.
– Monica Canca, Joza District Coordinator
Today we celebrate the life of our very own South African legend as delegates from all over the world and South Africans from all corners make their way to Soccer City despite the dull and rainy weather in Johannesburg for the State Memorial Service for Madiba. This world wide support encapsulates the very man that Tata was. We hope that we are reminded of the ideals that Tata stood for , that unity, peace and reconciliation will once again be a trademark for the South African people.
– Palese More, HR Coordinator
I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”
Nelson Mandela
1918 – 2013
Lloyd Lungu