On the 6th and 7th of April 2014 the staff, tutors and learner representatives of IkamvaYouth Chesterville branch gathered together to review the purpose of IkamvaYouth as an Organisation, the highlights that IY has seen as it continues to grow from strength to strength and what the branch can do to make sure it (the branch) carries through the vision of the Organisation. Everyone came prepared for what lay ahead as all sat together to voice out what each person expected during the course and the outcomes that they are looking forward to, moving forward, arising from this very significant event. Each person was also given, from the start, an opportunity to contribute to the ground rules that would govern the conduct and relations as the weekend progresses also keeping into account that many of these could be applied in our daily working relations in Chesterville.
This event was especially marked by a collaborative effort to find what each person believed and the ideas they held about IY as a whole. For each segment of the meeting people were divided into smaller groups to discuss certain areas or fields that formed the greater picture of that which being discussed. This allowed for each person as an individual to have a voice and for the bigger group to come up with a united understanding of what was being discussed.
Critical matters which make or break the structure of IY were placed on the table and were under discussion such as the aim of IY, the successes and failures it has encountered, the successes and failures of the branch, the core values of IY, the challenges faced by the branch and how these can be overcome, the portfolios within IY what these have managed to achieve in the previous year and what they have not and what can be done to pursue further success in each portfolio in the current year. This was a highly beneficial process as it allowed people to get answers to questions; to add what they think would assist towards growth and understand what was/is expected of them in their roles.
The programme ended with the election of new Portfolio Heads who with their team had an opportunity to look closely on the plans previously made and also to draw a new plan for the year ahead to guide its function and try to achieve better results contributing to the solidifying of the structure of IY and implementation in and therefore the successes of Chesterville as a branch.
Everyone left with renewed energy ready to take on the year ahead Superhero style!!!
The learners, parents, tutors, mentors, staff and partners all came together, on the 1st of February 2014 in Chesterville, with one purpose of sharing and receiving information on the purpose of IkamvaYouth, the main founding principles and the things that have kept IY going thus far. The main aim for the event was to give potential learners a feel and understanding of who IY is and for them to know the expectations that IY has of them and also to remind those who are already Ikamvanites about these same expectations and requirements so that all parties move forward in the year ahead with a clear head and zeal towards making 2014 yet another fruitful and productive year. 
The parents had an opportunity to hear for themselves what their children are a part of and get a sneak on the activities that transpired in the previous year and therefore a picture of what to expect in the current year.
The event began with a warm welcoming of all parties, followed by a brief synopsis of the purpose and the reason as to why there has been such a gathering. Then the Branch Coordinator (Nelisa Luhabe)enthralled the audience with a presentation she had prepared for them, giving them an overview on the major events and activities that took place in the previous year. The presentation also had details on who can become a member of the IY team and how, followed by a showdown on the expectations and requirements directed to all those who do become members, this was a crucial moment as these form the foundation that one requires to make it to the end as an Ikamvanite. It also contained details on the achievements of IY as a whole thus far and also those of the Chesterville branch individually, (included herein were the achievements of the learners i.e. the matrics).This information allowed all to comprehend the major role and significance of IY in our underprivileged communities and how it can continue with its endeavors as more learners commit themselves to the programme that IY offers them.
All persons in their different categories got an opportunity to be represented as individuals shared their own experiences of IY in their respective positions, what IY means to them and how it has helped them to give or receive thus grooming them into the people they are today.
We also had a wonderful talk by our partner representatives, Samukelo Nkosi of ABI and his team, who motivated the learners and gave them hope for the future, encouragement and reinforcement that they (the learners) have not made a mistake by being a part of IY. They also assured them that the work they do is from their hearts and are happy to play a role in the progression of IY in advancing our communities through education. And to make it even more exciting having them that day, one of them couldn’t leave without signing up as a tutor for the Chesterville branch!
Amidst all the information there were some great performances prepared by the learners that really took people to another level. The day ended with a note of thanks from the District Coordinator (Thabisile Seme) who acknowledged and appreciated everyone who forms a part of IY Chesterville, thanking them for their participation, contribution and loyalty to the programme..
By the time the programme ended the learners were looking forward to the New Year and the parents had a clearer picture of the role of IY in their children’s education.
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!
Mandela Day for us the Ikamva learners
Mandela day, 18 July 2013 for us the Ikamva learners was a great opportunity for us to give back and make a change. We, the learners of IkamvaYouth: Chesterville found ourselves going to the AH Zulu Pre-School in Chesterville right opposite the Youth Centre where we attend the after school tutoring sessions. The staff members of the crèche welcomed us warmly and showed us the rooms in which we were going to be painting. We also helped with washing the windows, painting cartoon characters on the crèche wall and draw a lot of lovely pictures for the kids at the crèche to cherish. We really enjoyed ourselves and it was great helping out for more than 67 minutes.
We did this to give back to the community where we the Ikamva learners reside, the same way in which the former president Nelson Mandela gave his life and fought for our freedom. For us, as the learners of IkamvaYouth giving back is very important because we receive everyday by attending at IkamvaYouth. The tutors also take their time to come in and give back by tutoring us learners. So we were also giving back to the crèche and the community. Our loving tutors also came along to assist us with the cleaning and painting.
I am humbled once again by the selfless nature and humility of the man that is Nelson Mandela. He is a true hero of our people. I can only hope that his story will be treasured for future generations because humanity needs more people like Nelson Mandela. May he live long! May the almighty God bless him and give him longer lasting life.
By: Sine Moesha Majozi (Grade 10 Ikamvanite)
My future is like a creature and I’m the creator
God forbid bad friends coz I am the maker
For the walls of doubt I am the dillapidator
And all my obstructions the assassinator
Because the future is in my hands
Rain pours down my face
Getting tired of the race
Why does life lead a fast pace
When you’re not ready for the game
I smell my future is near
I sense my hands do not fear
Because my future is in my hands
Dreamt of being a doctor
Overcome by dope factors
Some will settle for being cleaners
But for me, the grass is greener
I have potential of being a leader
So you see… I attend this institution
With a Xhosa restitution
They give me free-of-charge tuition
Enthusiastic with precision
And glad to be of assistance
…………..the name is Ikamva
Nokukhanya M. Ngcobo
Lloyd Lungu