Who are we?
IkamvaYouth is a township-based volunteer programme that gets learners out of poverty through education. The organisation exists to reduce inequality in South Africa, and its track record of matric results, access to post-school opportunities, and alumni success is proof that positive change is possible.
Who we are looking for?
The organisation is seeking to recruit non-executive members to serve in a voluntary capacity on IkamvaYouth’s Board & Subcommittees and to be custodians of IkamvaYouth’s work, impact, sustainability and values by actively participating in the organisation’s governance and leadership. As part of the board, you will provide strategic direction to IkamvaYouth by adopting strategic plans; determining policy and processes; ensuring the integrity of IkamvaYouth’s risk management and internal controls; monitoring operational performance and management. Directors must ensure that they have the time to devote to properly carry out their responsibilities and duties to IkamvaYouth.
Your responsibilities and duties:
- Annually revising and approving, in consultation with the Executive Management Team IkamvaYouth’s strategic objectives for the year ahead.
- Monitoring progress of IkamvaYouth towards achieving the objectives of IkamvaYouth’s current strategic planning.
- Monitoring the activities of the Executive Director and executive to ensure that the operational policies are being followed in accordance with the constitution.
- Engaging in decision making around policies that have a financial implication for the IkamvaYouth and expenditure to ensure that the constitution is being adhered to in the implementation of the activities of IkamvaYouth.
- Sitting on one of the Board Sub-committees; Human Resources and Governance Committee (HRGC) or Audit, Risk and Sustainability Committee (ARSC).
- Marketing IkamvaYouth to potential donors.
- Exercising leadership, enterprise, integrity and judgement in directing IkamvaYouth so as to achieve continuing impact and sustainability for IkamvaYouth.
- Exercising the utmost good faith, honesty and integrity in all their dealings with or on behalf of the IkamvaYouth
- Acting independently of any outside fetter or instruction.
- Being prepared and able, where necessary, to express disagreement with colleagues on the Board including the Chairperson and the Executive Director
Time requirements:
- The board meets four (4) times per year for 3 hours; at least once every three (3) months and at the written request of any two members of the Board.
- The subcommittees also meet four (4) times per year for 2 hours; at least once every three (3) months and a written request.
- A minimum of 2.5 hours to prepare for each meeting by reading and engaging with the meeting pack.
- The quorum of a meeting shall be two-thirds of the Board. This may be made up of Board members present in person, or virtually or electronically present, and/or who
vote electronically.
How to apply:
To apply, please send a statement of interest/motivation and your detailed CV to Amanda Luyenge: amanda@ikamvayouth.org . For any other enquiries, please contact Amanda Luyenge on 021 820 7444.
To know more about IkamvaYouth visit : www.ikamvayouth.org
Application deadline: 29 March 2019
Building a sector of effective after school programmes together
Cindy Mkaza-Siboto(in blue), Emagqabini Education Academy co-founder, with her class of 2018 learners celebrate an 83% matric pass rate.
IkamvaYouth’s Community Collaboration Programme (CCP) partners have achieved an exceptional 90.4% matric pass rate, with 59% bachelor passes and 22% diploma passes (81% tertiary eligibility). Twelve organisations in the Western Cape and Gauteng provided academic and extracurricular support to over 200 matrics in 2018. The motto “achieving against all odds” has been embodied by the changemakers in the after-school sector, in efforts to assist youth to reach their greatest potential. Without a doubt, this is exactly what the partners in the CCP lived up to!
We are very pleased to share that three of our implementing partners Bokomoso Education Trust, Mamelodi Initiative and Boys and Girls Club – Protea Glen have achieved a 100% matric pass rate!
Speaking about the programme’s support Nonhlanhla Rambuda, from Boys and Girls Club – Protea Glen said: “I joined in 2017, it has helped me so much in improving my marks also having adults who care about you and our academics was so much of motivation. I wouldn’t have done it without the tutors. I passed with Bachelor degree admission. Now my plan is to go to Culinary School and become a chef.”
During an event hosted to honour the bright stars from the class of 2018, Bokang Mokoena, Director of Phakamani Young Minds Academy, quoting Ellen Degeneres he urged the youth: “Follow your passion, stay true to yourself, never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path then, by all means, you should follow that.”
Busiswa Dayimani, IkamvaYouth’s Community Collaboration Coordinator, said, “I am proud of the growth and impact that the organisations are making in the lives of the youth in the communities. The Community Collaboration Programme has been a success in creating a space for organisations to support each other and cross-sharing skills in running effective programmes to deliver quality to the youth and mentoring the newer organisations. We look forward to supporting our class of matriculants to find opportunities that will see them living a dignified living.”
In collaboration with The Learning Trust (TLT), IkamvaYouth established the CCP in 2014. The programme provides training, support and space for peer-to-peer learning to social entrepreneurs running tutoring programmes. Out of 14 organisations supported in 2018, 12 had grade 12 learners enrolled, namely; Beautiful Gates, Sozo Foundation, Just Grace, Emagqabini, Boys and Girls club Pimville and Protea Glen, Phakamani Young Minds Academy, Bokamoso Education Trust, Refilwe, Yakha Ikusasa Manje, Mamelodi Initiative and The Assist. In 2019 IkamvaYouth will be working with 18 partner organisations across Gauteng and Western Cape.
Nonceba Mtwana, National Coordinator for The learning Trust was equally thrilled by the success of the CCP partnership, she said: “We have seen value in the combination of both programmatic and organisational support for embryonic community-based organisations. These organisations fill a real need in our communities where learners are faced with multi social challenges that limit their academic success. The trajectory of success in these organisations has been impressive”.
A big thank you to all our supporter and partners, who continue to make it their responsibility to transform the lives of many marginalised youth, through equipping them with quality education!
Phakamani Young Minds Team with the 2018 matric learners celebrating the success of the learners achieving 88% pass rate.
YES YOU CAN still achieve your dreams of earning a dignified living and becoming financially independent!
Last week, the Department of Education released the national matric results for the class of 2018. IkamvaYouth announced a provisional matric pass rate of 81% and celebrations have been taking place at branches across the country. Chances are, you may be pleased with your results, and may even have received your final confirmation of acceptance at your chosen tertiary institution. If this is you, CONGRATS!
If you haven’t done as well as you’d hoped though, don’t worry- It’s not the end of the world. Failing matric or not getting accepted at university doesn’t mean the end of your journey towards earning a dignified living and becoming financially independent. You have a number of options available to you:
- Re-marking/re-checking your exam scripts
- June NSC exam (previously supplementary exams)
- Re-doing your matric
- Vocational training options/ learnerships
Re-marking/re-checking
Firstly, perhaps you were quite surprised by the results you received, and feel the results are not a true reflection of your performance, it might be worth getting your paper/s re-checked or re-marked. You can request to have your scripts re-checked or re-marked at your school (see detailed instructions on the reverse side of your Statement of Results) or on the eGov portal, at www.eservices.gov.za. The deadline for manual requests for a re-check/re-mark is 18 January 2019, AND 20 January 2019 for online applications. Please be advised that the cost per subject, of a re-mark is R105.00 and R25.00 for a re-check.
June NSC exam (previously supplementary exams)
Another option available to you is to register to write the May/June NSC exams. These exams have replaced what was previously known as Supplementary Exams, which were written in February/March. This means that you have more time to prepare for the exams, so be sure to make use of this time! The June NSC exams allows candidates to re-write as many subjects as they need, including failed subjects or subjects they just wish to improve. The deadline for registration for the NSC June exams is 31 January 2019. Please CLICK HERE to access the Department of Education website for further details about the June NSC exams.
Re-doing your matric
If you feel you may not be prepared to write the June NSC exams, but are still determined to complete your matric, you can opt to re-enroll for the NSC as a full time candidate. Rather than simply registering with the Department and aiming to study for the end of year exams on your own, It’s really important that you find a school or institution where you can attend classes and receive support during the year. There are a number of institutions you can go to that offer support with re-doing matric, the following are just a few to get you started on your search (Check out THIS article for more!):
| Institution |
Location |
Contact |
| St Francis Adult Education Centre |
Cape Town |
CLICK HERE for the website |
| Gadra Education |
Grahamstown |
CLICK HERE for the website |
| KZN Matric Excellence |
Durban |
031 373 6391 |
| Damelin Correspondence |
Multiple locations |
CLICK HERE for the website |
| Second Chance Matric Programme |
National |
CLICK HERE for the website |
Vocational options/ Learnerships
Pursuing studies at a TVET college is a great option for students interested in vocational qualifications. Some TVET colleges don’t require a matric! For a list of all the Public TVET colleges in South Africa, CLICK HERE.
Learnerships are a great way to gain a post-matric qualification, while gaining valuable on-the-job training. Requirements for learnerships vary, so it’s important to check if you qualify before applying. CLICK HERE for more information about learnerships, and browse available learnerships HERE.
Central Applications Clearing House
The task of searching for alternative opportunities in January can be quite daunting. Especially after not managing to get accepted at the institutions you may have applied to last year! Thankfully, the Department of Higher Education and Training has established a Central Application Service, which is aimed at making this process simpler. The service “aims to match applicants’ exam results and study preferences with places that need to be filled” at various institutions. To sign up for this service, CLICK HERE.
Even if your matric results weren’t as great as you’d hoped, there are many alternative routes to achieving your dreams. And remember, IkamvaYouth is here to help you every step of the way!
Overjoyed Ikamvanite Simthembile, shows off her results at the recently held Matric Day celebrations
In its 16th year of operation IkamvaYouth is proud to announce an 82% matric pass rate, with a 69.3% tertiary eligibility for its class of 2018. This is a great achievement compared to averages of the schools these learners attend, which sits at 76% matric pass rate with 58% learners eligible for tertiary. Close to 500 learners who were enrolled in the IkamvaYouth matric class of 2018, wrote their final examinations across five provinces in South Africa!
Every year, IkamvaYouth learners’ results far exceed those of their feeder schools and township averages, as the reality of the Basic Education system in South Africa remains that 50% of learners don’t make it to matric.
The Gauteng region led this year’s pack of achievers with a combined 89% pass rate. Established in 2017, our Diepsloot branch, hosted its inaugural matric cohort. The branch has achieved a stellar 100% pass rate with a whopping 94% tertiary eligibility (65% bachelor and 29% diploma passes)!
This success comes despite the many challenges the Diepsloot community faces. In Diepsloot (similar to many townships in the country) there is a clear need for the IkamvaYouth programme. Comparative studies reflect the disparity between education accessed by privileged white learners in suburbs and those in townships. There are great differences in performance and for most learners in the township, reaching matric is an accomplishment.
Maria Masonganye, who attended IkamvaYouth’s Diepsloot branch obtained a Bachelor pass and intends to study at the acclaimed Wits University this year. Maria joined IkamvaYouth while doing Grade 11, she said, “The programme made me realise that working hard pays off and isn’t a waste of my time. I am glad that I joined IkamvaYouth, because it resulted in my marks improving. I learnt that with an education I can do anything I want to do, that nothing is impossible for me. You can change the world with education!”
IkamvaYouth in Joza township, Makhanda in the Eastern Cape achieved a whopping 82% pass rate, far surpassing the provincial average of 71%. IkamvaYouth’s Western Cape region scored a 79% matric pass rate, with the Kuyasa branch boasting the highest number of distinction passes obtained – totalling 28! Our KZN and North West regions respectively achieved 79% and 77% pass rates.
One of IkamvaYouth’s top achievers Lwando Melamane is from the Masiphumelele branch in the Western Cape. He achieved an aggregate of 82.3% with distinctions in Mathematics, IsiXhosa, Life Sciences, Physical Science, Life Orientation, Geography.
Lwando, together with his brother were raised by a single mother, who worked in retail for over 18 years. Committed to his education he has had to overcome many hurdles that come with living in an informal settlement, along with the realisation that he is short sighted. He joined the IkamvaYouth programme, after hearing about it from a friend during his Grade 11 year. He said: “IkamvaYouth provided me with time, space, assistance and a proper studying environment. My mother’s shack was too congested for effective studying.”
We look forward to seeing many of these high achievers making a mark in the next chapter of their lives!
There’s been solid improvement in the quality of passes, with the number of Bachelor passes increasing year on year for the past three years. Even though the feeder schools have improved the number of bachelor passes, they’re still below the level we were achieving at in 2016.
Twelve organisations, which were part of IkamvaYouth’s Community Collaboration programme, (IkamvaYouth’s social franchise which is aimed to create a sector of effective afterschool programmes, implementing the IkamvaYouth model) provided support to over 200 matrics in 2018 and have achieved an exceptional 91% matric pass rate, with 58% bachelor passes and 21% diploma passes.
We are very pleased to share that three of these implementing partners; Bokomoso Education Trust, Mamelodi Initiative and Boys and Girls Club – Protea Glen have achieved a 100% matric pass rate!
Executive Director at IkamvaYouth Lungile Zakwe said: “We are proud of the great effort that has been put in by our learners and tutors and the incredible results speak to our focus on impact. Many young lives have been positively changed through their academic achievements.”
IkamvaYouth relies on the support of many committed volunteers to implement its high impact programme. Sipho Dlamini, a tutor in Diepsloot said he has found IkamvaYouth to be a great platform to express oneself. “I love seeing people progress in life and want to do to more unto others. It takes a village to raise a child and I am a part of this village!”
IkamvaYouth’s work would not be possible without the commitment of our tutors, funders and supporters! Thank you so much!
We would also like to send a big shout out to our biggest donors for 2018: Coca Cola Beverages South Africa, Omidyar Network, Estee Lauder Charitable Foundation, The ELMA Foundation, Capitec Foundation, Cargill and many others.
Finally, we have reached the last academic term of the year and after all the hard work from our learners, volunteers and staff, this is a very special time designated to celebrate the commitment and the value of paying-it-forward demonstrated by our volunteers!
Our Western Cape region recently held its tutor appreciation event and what an honour it was to have all our regional volunteers in one place and shining the light on the amazing work and impact they have achieved this year – which certainly doesn’t go unnoticed. Scores of over 130 volunteers were in attendance and even our Executive Director, Lungile had the pleasure of meeting these amazing and talented tutors, who are the heart of IkamvaYouth!
“I am honoured to lead a vibrant army of young people who are banging the drum of change; one maths question at a time! Our army of tutors give their time voluntarily – as one of our volunteers said recently: ‘we need to build each other up in order to move forward as one’”, she said.
At IkamvaYouth, we love and value our volunteers, whose commitment makes our programme sustainable. Every year our volunteer support saves the organisation over R6m. Our volunteers, many of whom are previous learners, who have transformed from beneficiaries to benefactors have been trained to be able to deliver an effective tutoring programme which ensures that our learners succeed academically.
Throughout this year, tutors worked in small groups and provided academic support to our learners who brought in work that they are struggling with to the tutoring sessions. IkamvaYouth’s volunteer tutors, certainly play a much more bigger role than just tutoring; as they deal with students from similar and different backgrounds. They build strong, personal relationships with each learner and this is always visible at tutoring sessions.
Sharing about the support received from tutors, Grade 10 learner, Lesedi said: “I’ve been struggling with Maths and Physical Science and Daniel helped me to understand the concepts and now I am doing very well in the two subjects. He went an extra mile for me by scheduling extra classes outside of tutoring sessions. He is a great source of motivation, he always encourages me to be the best that I can be and not allow my circumstance determine my future. He is a good role model, because he is striving to do good even when times are tough!”
At the event, certificates were awarded a few of the many exceptional tutors who generously donate their time. Their high level of commitment and engagement that contributes to the success of our vision and mission was illuminated in their high spirits. The awardees included: Inganathi from our Nyanga branch, who took home the highest tutor attendance award; while Marilee from our Atlantis branch and Thembisile also from Nyanga, received long service awards. The top achiever of the evening was Doctor – who tutors at the Kuyasa Branch, he was crowned the best tutor, this award was voted for by learners and other tutors.
Asked how he felt about this achievement, Doctor said the following:
“Firstly, I’d like to clarify that we as tutors are all equal and no one is doing a better job than the other. Receiving the best tutor award for me shows how much you are appreciated and valued both by learners and tutors, it means those extra miles we go are noticed and that is a motivation to me to continue paying it forward!”
Without your support and that of our volunteers, we would not have had the opportunity to assist over 2,000 learners at the 17 IkamvaYouth branches, to reach their academic goals and get into post-school institutions – ensuring more young people are set on the path to earning a dignified living.
Thank you for your continued support!
Lloyd Lungu