The solutions and innovations that will change the world – the cure for AIDS, technologies that will curb environmental destruction, art that unites and inspires – are inside young minds. Young minds that need an education so that these solutions can be developed and tapped. Sadly, most South African youth are enrolled in schools that struggle with the basics – from textbook distribution to learner safety – and so are denied the kind of education that engenders problem solving, innovation and leadership.
However, there is a fast-growing group of young people who refuse to be hopeless or overwhelmed. They are the ikamvanites: learners, tutors and social entrepreneurs who’ve developed an innovative solution to the problems of poor academic achievement and low access to tertiary education. Today, their branches in Gauteng and KZN are celebrating their 100% pass rate and 56% bachelor passes. Overall, 91% have achieved the bachelor or diploma passes they need to access tertiary education. Many ikamvanites excelled (22 distinctions achieved so far overall). “Education is the only thing that can catapult me, a daughter of a domestic worker, into the position where I can make gigantic improvements in our country and continent, by stimulating entrepreneurship, promoting education and tackling crime,” says Ntebaleng Morake, who achieved four distinctions. She’s been accepted at both Wits and UCT and will be studying Law and Politics next year.
The branches are celebrating their results with learners, tutors and parents. “IkamvaYouth has been incredible in helping my child to achieve so much at school. I am so happy today. Now- she has been accepted in three places- and we are confused what option she will take, though I know there are some out there who do not have even one option. Thank you, IkamvaYouth!” enthused Mrs Makhubele.
The Western Cape results will only be available either later this afternoon (according to WCED website) or tomorrow (according to the DBE). However, learners are currently arriving at the branches in Nyanga, Makhaza and Khayelitsha to share their results with their fellow ikamvanites and celebrating their bright futures.
“We’re very proud of all the learners and tutors and thankful to IkamvaYouth’s supporters who enable these life-changing results”, says Sbusiso Kumalo, board member of IkamvaYouth and head of Capitec’s Corporate Affairs. The tutors who help the learners to reach these heights are all volunteers. Most are university students and many are ex-learners from IkamvaYouth. They’re also the organisation’s greatest benefactors: this year, ikamvanites will be delivering the equivalent of well over 7 million rands’ worth of tutoring time to learners in nine townships in five provinces. The result of this phenomenal investment is an intensive, high quality programme that offers ongoing individual attention and support to learners for between R5k and R6k per learner per year.
IkamvaYouth is a by-youth, for-youth volunteer-driven initiative that was established in 2003 and has since been expanding across the country. There are no academic prerequisites for enrollment in the programme, which is free of charge. Most learners join with abysmal academic results and are from impoverished homes with unemployed caregivers. The impact of the programme is phenomenal. As Asanele Swelindawo, an orphan who managed to get three distinctions, says, “I now have the ticket to improve my life and one day be able to take care of my family”.
The full national results will be released once data from the Western Cape is available. IkamvaYouth sends an open invitation to all who want to join in the celebrations at their branches.
CONTACTS:
National Coordinator: Zamo Shongwe; zamo@ikamvayouth.org; +27837347246
Western Cape Coordinator: Liesel Bakker: liesel@ikamvayouth.org +27798854372
Gauteng Coordinator: Patrick Mashanda: patrick@ikamvayouth.org; +27 74 673 1215
KZN Coordinator: Thabisile Seme: thabisile@ikamvayouth.org; +27 716109838
Monday, 10th December 2012: Excited Ikamva Youth learners from Umlazi and Chesterville were treated to a set of presentations by Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI) in Phoenix Business Park. ABI is the leading distributor of Coca-Cola products in the southern hemisphere. ABI is a firm supporter and sponsor of the Ikamva initiative. Ikamvanites were informed about the working of the company, the respective responsibilities of the various departments, and the career opportunities available at ABI. Staff members of ABI provided important information and advice to students about study trajectories that would afford them a chance to work for a company like ABI. Learners were responsive and posed a number of questions to the speakers and expressed interest in pursuing careers at ABI. A lovely lunch was had, after a tour of ABI’s factory floor.
Some of the staff who gave presentations about their different departments
Learners and tutors listening tentatively to the advice offered by the ABI staff.
Lunch is served!
On the 22nd of October 2012; in Grahamstown; we approached our first school in our quest for partners in the fight against the Education crisis facing our country. The name of that school is Nombulelo Senior Secondary School; together with two other schools they have come on board to be part of our first branch in the Eastern Cape. The other two schools are Khutliso Daniels and TEM Mrwetyana Senior Secondary Schools. IkamvaYouth is breaking new ground in the Eastern Cape.
The strides we have managed to take in this short period are testimony to the level of support we have received from this community. MOU’s with the schools have been signed; the tutoring venue has been secured; office space is available and educators are ready and willing to render the required support. We are humbled by the warmth and cooperation received from the various community based stakeholders.
It all began with a visit to the Rhodes University Community Engagement centre. Without their support in helping us navigate our way in a new environment it would have been a steeper climb. IkamvaYouth owes Di Hornby and her team a bucketful of gratitude.
The 1st of December marked world AIDS day, but it was also a day where we honoured our achievers for the hard work they have done during the year. The prize giving was well attended by learners, their families, partners and supporters and IY staff and they bore witness to the great work and sacrifice the learners made and how these sacrifices were converted into achievement. Most of the prizes that were given out were for academic achievement, but we also had prizes for attendance, learners need to be present 75% of the year, and in Makhaza more than 50% of our Ikamvanites had an average attendance of over 90%. This is a great feat as we have tutoring 5 days a week and this dedication just shows how special this programme is to the learners.
Other certificates included the most improved learner per grade, outstanding leadership, learner of the year voted by learners as well as tutors and the most committed learner per grade. 11 learners walked away with computers donated by Capitec, 18 learners received a prize of a day trip with Carl Palmer and others received stationary packs. Our tutors also received certificates and were thanked for their efforts and the time they spent tutoring. The Khan Academy and Marion Walton from UCT also handed out certificates and prizes for the projects they ran during the year.
We would like to thank all our partners and supporters, especially Capitec, Numeric, The University of Cape Town, Sinakho high school, Education Without Borders, Carl Palmer, Marion Walton, Andrew Einhorn, Ikapadata , Reel Lives, the Nazeema Isaacs library and staff.
Building a solid foundation in mathematics in learners at an early stage of their mathematics schooling careers is one of the major problems facing our education system. The Education Without Borders program (EwB) was piloted in Nyanga this year helps tackle this problem in a well-structured series of basic mathematics books, written by Dr. Rahael Jalan, to a class of 14 learners.
Impact
The program was implimented during winter school and for the final two terms of the year. In this short time, as per the comparison below, the results in March (indicated in blue) show a poor level of understanding, the majority of learners scoring 40% and below for grade level mathematics. June results after tutoring three days a week shows a slight increase, but after implimenting the program in the final two terms the results have increased dramatically.
Whie the increase in results is a significant improvement and achievement, it is evident from the results at Makhaza that for the program to have results above 50-60% the program needs to run for the full duration of the year.
Each set of three lines (blue, red, green) represents one learner:
The most notable achivement was an increase in results by 43% from term 2 to term 4.
*Note – these results were from independant tests administed at the branch, the schools we work with had administative difficulties in releasing quartely reports and as such the results are independant tests.
Tutor’s Experience
It has been a wonderful experience of teaching and learning. Some of our learners have shown great interest and a major boost in confidence after they had easily grasped the topics with proper guidance from a tutor. I have had a few minor problems with some of the leaners, which we managed to resolve and carry on with the program. Overall I have enjoyed working with the learners and seeing them develop in their learning abilities.
IkamvaYouth is very thankful to Education Without Borders for enabling us to implement the Math Yes We Can books for our Grade 8’s. Special thanks to: Cecil and Ruth Hershler-funding provided through Education Without Borders, ‘Yes We Can’ mathematics books writen by Dr Rahael Jalan.
Lloyd Lungu