The national matric pass rate dropped from 76% in 2014 to 71% for the class of 2015. And so it was with nerves and excitement that IkamvaYouth learners, volunteers, parents, staff and donors made their way to the organisation’s branches in ten townships across five provinces last week. However, with relief and celebration, the figures confirm that the collective efforts have paid off, and the Ikamvanites have shown that with hard work, peer support and committed volunteer tutors and mentors, the odds can be impressively overcome.
Highlights of Matric 2015
Although 87% of Ikamvanites attend no-fee schools in townships, they managed to succeed against the odds and consistently beat the national average matric results:
- 80% of Ikamvanites passed the matric exam compared to 71% nationally.
- 69% of Ikamvanites are eligible for tertiary study (achieving either bachelor or diploma passes) compared to 55% nationally
- 40% of Ikamvanites qualified to study for a bachelor’s degree at university compared to 26% nationally.
Ikamvanites choose to take more difficult subjects & do better than average:
- While nationally, only 41% of matrics take mathematics and of those only 49% pass; among Ikamvanites 51% take mathematics and 58% pass.
- While nationally, only 30% of matrics take physical science and of those only 59% pass; among Ikamvanites 39% take Physical Science and 67% pass.
Many learners achieved exceptional results. Chumisa Yaphi from Makhaza achieved 6 distinctions, and has been awarded a scholarship to study at UCT. She is weighing up her options at different institutions, and wants to study either Geology or Pharmacy. Read more about her achievement in the Q&A we did with her.
Most of the learners who did not manage to pass this year are eligible for supplementary exams (61%), and so their journey towards a matric pass is not yet over. They will be tutored at IkamvaYouth branches until they write these exams.
The organisation is particularly proud of branch performance in the notoriously poor-performing regions in Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape. The Umlazi branch is celebrating an 87% pass, with 74% eligible for tertiary (39% bachelor and 35% diploma), while the Chesterville branch achieved an 89% pass (27% bachelor and 50% diploma).
Ntombikayise Mjaja, a parent at the Umlazi branch, thanked IkamvaYouth’s donors, volunteers and staff for their initiative, saying “our children are achieving because of this work; we have seen the improvements, and we are so proud of them”.
Bongane Chavane, who joined the Umlazi branch in grade 10 when he was failing Maths and Life Sciences, said that, “the matric exams were of high standard, but with IkamvaYouth in my corner I managed to get a Bachelor Pass that I am very proud of. Today I am very proud to have passed Maths with 70% and Life Science with 72%. IkamvaYouth is a programme aiming at helping pupils with their future, and this year I am going to study Geological Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and also give back to this programme by becoming a tutor.
Despite challenges including lacking access to electricity, water and sanitation, as well as Maths and Physics teachers, the Joza branch just outside of Grahamstown achieved an 81% pass (33% bachelor and 24% diploma). Khonaye Mpofana joined IkamvaYouth when he was in grade 11, as he had poor results in grade 10, and was unsure about his post-school career options. He is now celebrating being one of the top matric achievers at his school, and is going on to study Psychology at Rhodes university.
Here’s a graph comparing Ikamvanites bachelor passes against the national averages in the Eastern Cape:
Learners from the class of 2015 are going on to study a range of important fields that will equip them with the skills they need to build South Africa, including medicine, engineering, social work, and Information Technology. In addition, they are also committed to paying forward the support they received; and many of them are returning to volunteer as tutors, and uplift more learners as they rise.
IkamvaYouth has maintained a matric pass rate of between 80 and 100% each year since 2005, and true credit for these results must go to the learners, volunteers, the staff, partner organisations and donors.
“IkamvaYouth would like to express particular thanks to our remarkable volunteers and IkamvaYouth’s five largest donors in 2015: Amalgamated Beverage Industries, Omidyar Network, Capitec Bank, Montpelier Foundation and ELMA Foundation. Without these and all of the other wonderful donors, these results would not be possible. We appreciate your support hugely and are looking forward to continuing to working with you in the years to come,” says chairperson Leigh Meinert.
For more information on IkamvaYouth, please see our 2014 Annual Report. If you would like to donate to IkamvaYouth, please do so via Given Gain or Global Giving or contact: alex@ikamvayouth.org.
[video:https://youtu.be/le8ZF7QCcuI align:center]
This video is for you, our supporters. Thank you for being a part of IkamvaYouth!
The world is hugged by the faithful arms of volunteers. These volunteers don’t necessarily have the time, but they have the heart. Ikamva Youth values its tutors. What better way of showing our gratitude than taking them to Zoo Lake for team building exercises? Ikamva Youth has made it its culture to appreciate its volunteers throughout the year. This year’s appreciation event was combined between the two GP branches, Ebony and Ivory Park. The idea was to create unity and friendship between volunteers from different backgrounds and walks of life
.
“Team building activities are essential for every organization. Some think this is about playing silly games but that is not the case. The team building activities were designed to create unity, develop good relationships between all members, giving them experience of working with different team members and to introduce processes so that they work effectively together. I strongly think we achieved that today”- said the activities instructor Welsh Dube. Participants were required to form teams, elect a leader, create a war cry and complete the challenges set for them. The day was full of laughter, shouting, singing and dancing as tutors were enjoying team building exercises. Both the Ebony Park and Ivory Park staff members handed out certificates to appreciate efforts made and services provided by volunteers to IkamvaYouth.
The categories for certificates were: Outstanding commitment, certificate of appreciation, volunteer of the year and appreciation letters written by IY Director Joy Olivier. Tutors were very happy to receive their certificates. They were shouting, rejoicing as they went to collect their Awards. Ikamva Youth really values their hard work.
As can be seen in our
Annual Report 2014 was the year of growth for us: our matric class was 63% bigger than the previous year, we reached over 1,700 learners and we opened our tenth branch. But let’s not forget why we are here, for most of South Africa’s children, the only way out of poverty is through education. Ikamvanites (IkamvaYouth learners) continue to prove that anyone and everyone – irrespective of the school one attends and the socio-economic status of one’s parents can achieve his dreams and escape poverty.
Please read more in our 2014 annual report about the innovation of our model, why we need more Ikamvanites, hear from the Ikamvanites themselves and why our three largest donors of 2014 (Omidyar Network, Amalgamated Beverage Industries and Capitec Foundation) continue to support us.
It is thanks to these donors and many others that we have been able to achieve the results that we have over the last 12 years. South Africa’s future rests on the success of our children. IkamvaYouth is fundraising to reach even more of South Africa’s children in 2016 and needs your support. Please contact me if you would like to discuss supporting IkamvaYouth or find out more about us.
On the 26th of September, we held our Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Chris Hani High School in Makhaza. The event was well attended, with an audience of more than 300 people; among whom were IY staff, learners, volunteers, parents, alumni, board members and representatives of funders and sponsors.
The programme for the AGM consisted of the presentation and approval of the 2014 Audited Financial Statements; approving the appointment of Grant Thornton as our 2015 auditors; the appointment and ratification of 3 new board members, and the presentation of our 2014 Annual report.
“If your dream doesn’t scare you, it’s not big enough”, was the message from one of the outstanding alumni, Sinethemba Kameni, who provided a heart-warming account of his journey with IkamvaYouth. We were encouraged by his and other alumni’s stories; the progress they have made in their lives, and their willingness to come back and inspire the learners who are making their own journey with IkamvaYouth. Zukile Keswa shared his philosophy that says, ‘In life you need to start somewhere’, emphasising that his life’s work is about the impact he is making in his community. This resonated with our findings that 65% of our learners want to come back and become tutors, as our director, Joy Oliver pointed out in her report.
The crowd was entertained by IkamvaYouth learners and tutors who performed moving songs, enthralling dance and inspiring poetry at various intervals during the AGM.
For detailed information on the event, please refer to the minutes accessible the following link: AGM minutes
Please see the attendance register on the following link: AGM attendance register
As grade 11 ikamvanites prepare themselves for the final hurdle of their schooling journey, they had to ask themselves which careers to follow, what interest them and whether they meet the requirements needed. Half of the youth in South Africa is clueless on what to do when they finish their high school. Ikamva Youth prides itself in helping the youth with the necessary information and giving them opportunities needed to further their dreams. On the third week of October, Ikamvayouth Ebony Park hosted an online career guidance followed by a career talk.
The day started with an online career guidance that is meant to provide comprehensive, individual meaningful career guidance based on learners/students interests, skills and personality characteristics, to ensure a career path best suited to them. A complete report ensures individual career direction, recommendations on school subject selection, tertiary qualification and institutions, as well as full details on the ideal career options. This enabled Ebonites to find the subject choices, tertiary qualification and career direction that is ideally suited to them. When Ikamvanites completed the online guidance, they walked away with a booklet that includes their career choices, requirements needed for chosen choices, universities that offer such choices and companies they can work for.
As if this was not enough for Ikamvanites, a career talk followed which was conducted by SAB Miller employees. The career talk was facilitated by professionals from different departments of the company like Finance, Human Resources, Engineering, Marketing and logistics. This session focused on post school options (besides universities) for students to explore, given that many may not achieve sufficient grades to get into university i.e. University is great to get into, but not all will have the opportunity to do so. Ikamvanites heard about various career opportunities, and more tailored and engaging sessions where Ikamvanites can pick specific career options to engage on looking at the online career guidance report.
This session helped ikamvanites know about drawbacks, challenges and successes that comes with certain professions. Most of the youth from disadvantaged communities do not know that there’s other profession’s than those they see each and every day in their communities.
The responses from learners were amazing as Theory Mahomane said “having my future career typed for me in a form of a book and being able to meet professionals from big companies, telling me about different careers that are unknown to me than those we see at our communities like Police Officers and Soldiers”.
It’s fascinating to see how individuals offer their support to prepare the youth for tomorrow. Thanks to Ikamva Youth and its relevant stakeholders for preparing future leaders with knowledge needed to realise that their dreams are possible.
Are you an after-school education organisation working in Gauteng?
Do you want to join a community of organisations working together, to deliver collective impact: improved academic achievement for learners in townships and rural areas, ensuring excellent matric results and access to tertiary, learnerships and jobs?
Would you like to receive training, support and funding to achieve this impact?
DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM
The Learning Trust (TLT) and IkamvaYouth have partnered to develop and expand the Collaborative Community, to ensure the delivery of high quality after-school tutoring programmes for South African youth living in township communities.
The Collaborative Community Programme (CCP) is a growing network of after-school programmes, where members are provided with knowledge, skills and resource-sharing opportunities. CCP aims to increase the number of high impact, sustainable tutoring programmes in South Africa.
You can get involved in various ways:
1) Become a member of the wider collaborative community, where you will be invited to take part in networking, skill sharing and targeted training sessions every other month and access a 2 day IY model introductory workshop and on-going tutor training.
2) Receive a grant for a full year of intensive training and support from The Learning Trust and IkamvaYouth. This programmatic training and support, bespoke capacity support in all areas of organisational development, such as the areas of strategy and M&E, fundraising and governance, and financial controls, as well as programme funding will enable organisations to implement the full IkamvaYouth model and increase their impact (*see criteria below).
3) Join the movement to track and monitor collective impact: use the customised database for monitoring and tracking, and become part of an ongoing independent impact evaluation.
All are welcome; please inform us about your programme and your needs. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Monday 2nd November 2015. We will be in touch in the first week of November.
To apply please download the application form HERE and return it to zoe@ikamvayouth.org.
Criteria and Eligibility
*The following criteria need to be met by any organisation wanting to receive intensive training, support and programme funding:
- Be a registered NGO/non-profit
- Have a Board established, with regular Board meetings
- Have a secured venue for your tutoring programme that has the capacity for 80+ students
- Have at least 1 full-time salaried person or a committed founder/co-founder who has been involved in the programme for at least one year and is committed to making the programme work.
- Have an assistant (can be a volunteer); and a committed team of volunteer tutors
- Have a track-record of some consistent quality service/programme provided for at least one year
- Be willing and able to use database or excel spreadsheet template for standardised attendance and outcome tracking
- Have a collaborative mind-set and dedication to capacity building and team and wider community development
- Align closely with the 5 core values of IkamvaYouth and The Learning Trust’s values of humility, diversity, honesty and a commitment to learning.
- Be an emerging community based organisation or a more established organisation looking to improve or change its tutoring model.
In order to receive this support, organisations will also be expected to comply with IkamvaYouth’s minimum standards of quality implementation:
- Commitment: Learners need to meet a minimum 75% attendance requirement to keep their place in the programme
- Individual attention: Learners engage in small group peer-to-peer learning, striving towards a 1:5 tutor: learner ratio
- Consistency: 3 tutoring/homework sessions held per week
- Sustained support: Working with learners in grades 8 – 12; but not enrolling new grade 12s (ensuring 2 – 5 years’ involvement for each learner)
- Impact: Willingness and ability to recruit a cohort of at least 30 grade 10s and 20 grade 11s as of January 2016
- Learning how to Learn: Applying tutoring methodology rather than traditional teaching methods
- Enabling access to post-school opportunities: Each grade 12 learner is paired with a mentor who helps them to apply for tertiary education, learnerships or jobs and ensures that they enroll in a post-school opportunity after matriculating
- Democratic decision making: through inclusive forums and tutor meetings constructive feedback is received from beneficiaries and volunteers
- Parental involvement: A minimum of 3 parents’ meetings held per year
Application Process
If you meet the above criteria and are committed to work towards implementing a tutoring programme as outlined above, please indicate as such on the application form.
Deadline for applications is Monday 2nd November 2015. Applications will be reviewed and you will be contacted for a follow-up telephonic interview in the week of the 2nd November 2015.
Successful applicants will be informed of next steps, which may include a site visit and a meeting with key programme, managerial staff and board members. The preliminary dates for these visits is 16-19 November.
Any organisations selected to receive programme support grants will then be required to submit a separate funding application directly to TLT in December.
The 5 Day training will take place at end of March/beginning of April 2016 and two members of staff from selected organisations must be available for the full training. Dates and attendance will be confirmed with organisations in November.
If you do not meet the requirements outlined here but are interested in working towards them or you would like to discuss your application and specific needs please contact Zoe Mann on 0744767965 or email zoe@ikamvayouth.org.
Lloyd Lungu