IkamvaYouth is offering you a unique opportunity to join us at one of 5 branches across South Africa on the morning of 4th January from 11am, when the matric results are announced. Watch the action unfold with IkamvaYouth staff, volunteers, parents and learners. Witness what we hope to be another matric miracle.
IkamvaYouth is a youth-led educational NGO striving to redress the inequalities and inadequacies that exist in the South African education system. 5 core programmes are offered after-school and on Saturday mornings to hardworking, committed high school youth all over South Africa.
In a country where less than 10% of all youth access tertiary education (SAIRR study, 2009), and 41.6% of 18-24 year olds are not in education/training or employment (CHET,2009), IkamvaYouth is constantly battling against the odds.
However, since its inception in 2003 IkamvaYouth has enabled more than 400 learners from disadvantaged backgrounds to complete high school and have continually achieved un-expected results.
IkamvaYouth’s matric classes have achieved pass rates of between 87 and 100% each year since 2005. More than 70% of the last three grade 12 groups have gained access to tertiary education compared to a township average of approximately 5%.
In 2011 there have been a number of setbacks and problems that have threatened to throw learners off course, yet they have persevered throughout the year and will gather on the 4th January to see if it pays off and if the Ikamvanites once again exceed their own and society’s expectations.
These results determine the futures of these young people. Without a matric pass learners are less likely to access employment and if they do so they will on average earn 5 times less than their graduated peers. Passing matric is the first step for learners on the path to further study, employment and for those from disadvantaged backgrounds it is a rare chance to lift themselves out of poverty.
This is the moment we see if it is possible for the matrics of 2011 to succeed when everything is pointed against them.
We look forward to having you there to speak to learners, volunteers and staff, as the action happens.
Contact: Zoe Mann, 0798854388
www.ikamvayouth.org
Please note that IkamvaYouth is closed from 16 Dec – 4 Jan. Happy Holidays!
UCT master’s student Thobela Bixa has won the prestigious Telluride Sidgwick-Miller Scholarship for 2011/2012, an award that will allow him to further his career at the University of Michigan in the US. Based in the Department of Chemistry, Bixa is conducting research on asymmetric synthesis, which involves the use of what’s known as chiral catalysts to synthesise biologically active compounds that are potential drug leads. “The two projects (from UCT and UM) will give me a broader experience, understanding, and knowledge of asymmetric synthesis, a current hot topic in the field of organic chemistry research,” commented Bixa on the scholarship. In picture, Bixa appears with his UCT supervisor, Prof Roger Hunter.
From UCT’s News In Brief
There was reason to celebrate once more this week as resident accounting genuis and Ikamvanite Shelton Chadya achieved 1st Place in the Regional Competition of the SAIPA National Accounting Olympiad.
Shelton has been one of Ivory Park IkamvaYouth’s most committed learners and is also the Grade 12 representative on the local Branch Committee. This award is truly an exceptional achievement and few people deserve this more than Shelton whose hard work, perseverence and commitment is paying off handsomely. Of course, this week Shelton’s focus is on Maths and English as the matric exams start in earnest and he is confident his exams will go well.
Next Year Shelton plans to be studying (as you would expect) BCOM Accounting and has been accepted at both UJ and WITS. As things stand he is looking for ways to finance his degree. If, perchance, you are reading this and you know someone looking for a worthy candidiate for a scholarship, you really should look no further. We could not possibly recommend Shelton more highly so please get in touch. This is one investment that we can guarantee signfiicant returns on. Email: andrew@ikamvayouth.org for more info.
IkamvaYouth and EwB joined hands to build future Mathematicians. Knowing that pass rates are low in mathematics at grade 12, a closer look has been taken to understand why learners perform so badly in maths. One of the major points that came up is the foundation of mathematics; maths is like ladder: you can’t jump one step and expect not to fall. Without understanding grade 8-level maths it makes it difficult to fully grasp grade 9 maths and the chain continues to grade 12. For example, with some learners, it’s not that they don’t understand the trigonometry, but it’s the fraction within the trigonometry with which they’re struggling and leads them to get the math wrong. Yes We Can Maths provides the platform to understanding these basics through the yellow and green books at grade 8 level; they start at the basic core of mathematics Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division. From there the books provide opportunities for learners to practice applying all of those skills to complex maths like fractions, exponents, etc.
This being basic mathematics, most learners they don’t think they need it due to the use of calculators. However, once one starts to challenge learners about how much they are depending on calculators, they realise that they don’t even know the methods of solving simple multiplication. Through this project we are tearing down a fundamental problem of mathematics education in South Africa.
Some highlights and challenges from the learners’ perspective, we asked couple of questions: How do they feel about the books? Is there anything would like to change about the class or tutor? And do you think the books are helping in your school work?
“To me the books are not easy at the same time not it’s not difficult, because some of activities are easy but some of them it’s hard to understand so I am in between.”
“There is nothing I want to change about the class it’s alright and my tutor Nicholas does a perfect job.”
“It was helping on term 1 but now it does not, because now we are doing equations in school and that book it’s no fractions so it’s not helping much. I would like the book to change to book 2 to have equation solving for x, expression and exponents”
“I feel very excited when I see the books, it’s because it helps me very much. It’s easy to understand all the equations in the book.”
It has been wonderful having these grade 8 learners join IkamvaYouth. In addition to the EWB project they have also been exposed to English tutoring and the full range of holiday programme activities.
Thank you to EWB for enabling us to work with these learners.
Mphumzi Klaas passed away on 26 June. Ikamvanites are grieving for this amazing colleague, tutor, mentor and friend. Mphumzi has been integral to IkamvaYouth since he joined in 2005, while doing grade 11. He has since fulfilled various important roles at the Makhaza branch, and has been an inspiration and friend to hundreds of ikamvanites. When introducing himself to visitors, he’d proudly say that he does “a little bit of everything” at IkamvaYouth, and it was true. Besides keeping the Makhaza branch going and consistently aiming higher, Mphumzi was the glue of the Makhaza family with his deep commitment and great sense of humour.
The memorial service is on the 6th of July 2011 at Desmond Tutu Hall. It will start at 17:30 until 19:00. Click here for the directions from town, and contact me direct 0789929269 if you get lost.
The funeral is on 9 June at Solomon Mahlangu Hall, next to Harry Gwala High School / Kuyasa train station. It will start at 9:30am until 12o’clock.
My name is Unathi and I am a tutor at the Makhaza branch of Ikamva and part of the winter school, I tutor many different subjects but especially accounting, business and economics. I’m currently studying at UWC.
Here is what my week has been like:
Tuesday:
My expectations from the two weeks period and how will it affect my future?
i expect students to bring questions, challenge the tutors on their different streams and make sure
they go home with a lot learned on that particular day.
I expect commitment from both management, tutors and well yes the students.
TUTORING- I spent time with a grade 12 learner tutoring one on one for economics, it ends productive.
Wednesday-
More tutoring, engagement with the students which are in my stream. the learners are challenging in terms of school work and in bringing questions for the next day.
WORKSHOPS- on the workshop I hear about stuff that I’ve never really knew, from the Jewish centre.
my experience- me well i knew little about the history of Germany and i never knew that the laws they had during Hitlers’ period of being president, some how were related with few laws the South African Apartheid Government made. GRATEFULL TO IKAMVA FOR THE WORKSHOP AND THE JEWISH CENTRE.
Thursday-
I’ve engaged with a learner who is doing his matric, I’ve noticed that we need a more time on his commercial studies i.e economics and business.
WORKSHOPS- in a group with the learners, we hear about LUCCA LEADERSHIP. The 1st hour of the session learners were not really engaging with the facilitators, but they got a break after that they were engaging- asking questions and answering when they are asked questions, after the workshop we get a chance to talk about what caused them not to engage, well they tell me they are too shy to speak english. We conclude that they need to practice their english all the time.
Now it’s Friday morning, tutoring is happening for all the grades in Maths, Science, History, Geography, Accounting, Business and Economics. The grade 11 science students have gone to UCT to participate in Science experiments, looking forward to the afternoon workshops!
There are many other streams and workshops happening which other tutors are involved in, you’ll get to hear about them from the others.
Unathi Smile x
Lloyd Lungu