Ivory Park grade 10 learners on the 7th of March 2014 benefited from a Study Skills Workshop facilitated by Dr. Welcome Kubeka of the University of Johannesburg. Dr. Kubeka has been running these workshops since 2012, focusing mainly on grade 10 learners with the notion of building motivating learners as they cruise through high school.
‘’Our engagement with the Ikamva Youth (Ivory Park and Ebony Park) branches is on how to assist learners to study in a creative way. Hence we believe that empowering them with the academic study skills at an early stage (Grade 10) will contribute positively in their academic journey. The sessions which we offer to them cover critical study skills such as, Time management, taking notes, taking examinations (focusing on analyzing an assessment) and staying being motivated during their studies’’, says Dr. Kubeka.
His commitment and involvement with IkamvaYouth learners has seen participating learners being exceptionally focused on their school work resulting in improved marks and discipline.
“The teachings by Dr. Kubeka are motivational and skill building. I hope he continues to have these workshops with us as we learn things we never imagined in studying”, Mesile Kuthumela , a grade 10 learner who attended the workshop.
We give much thanks to Dr. Welcome Kubeka for his selfless commitment to IkamvaYouth programmes and his input in developing our learners, equipping them with life skills for a better future.
The year 2015 has already started with an exciting new twist as the Ebony Park mentoring programme got a huge boost by partnering with Coaches and Mentors South Africa (COMENSA). This very valuable partnership will help to answer a lot of questions we have had on how a mentoring programme should be structured for it to be a success. COMENSA, a national organisation with which all professional coaches and mentors are supposed to register with, brings with them a wealth of knowledge, experience and hope that mentoring programmes at IkamvaYouth will get more recognition especially if the mentors recruited for this task are certified and accredited to carry out the process with the learners.
On the 28th of February, Ebony Park branch launched its mentoring programme for the year and welcomed mentors from COMENSA together with Andre Retief, a COMENSA facilitator and project coodinator who conducted an orientation workshop to explain the intentions of the programme and the way it was going to run throughout the year. At the end of the workshop learners were paired with their new mentors.
Andre Retief expressed his satisfaction with the proceedings of the day and was excited to be able to assist our eager learners. He expressed that this year would be a pilot and if COMENSA management is happy with the progress they would be more than willing to extend this assistance to the other branches, starting with the Ivory Park branch next year.
This is the first of many exciting things happening at the Ebony Park branch.
On the 23rd of January 2015, the IkamvaYouth Ivory Park branch entered into partnership with Charities Aid Foundation Southern Africa (CAFSA), which would see the Ivory Park branch and its host, Kaalfontein Secondary School benefit from development initiatives offered through CAFSA.
Among the things proposed to CAFSA through a partnership proposal drafted by IkamvaYouth were a mobile office and computer lab to be donated and stationed at Kaalfontein Secondary to benefit IkamvaYouth staff, volunteers, learners and the school, help with setting up of a library for the school and also to benefit Ikamvanites, painting and renovations on toilets and classrooms, paving and landscaping, office assets and stationary, volunteer mentors and tutors, learning aids, uniforms and sports equipment.
On the 3rd of March 2015 the Ivory Park branch and Kaalfontein secondary received a donation of stationary which was fairly shared between the two partners. Many thanks to CAFSA for the support given to IkamvaYouth in form of donation in stationary items listed below.
Item Quantity
Pens 29
Erasers 48 (12×4 cases)
Pencils 192 (28×8 cases)
Gule stick 9 (3×3 packs)
Oxford Dictionaries 2
Prestick 1 pack
Chalks 1 box
Exam pads 40
Mathematical Instruments 51 sets
Permanent Markers 12
A4 Ultra Office paper 1 pack (5×500 sheets)
Pencil Sharpener 1
In addition to the donations, CAFSA also invited Mentors from Shell JHB EVW Project who came on 3 March 2015 to mentor all grade 11 learners at Kaalfontein Secondary School. The Ivory Park branch coordinator (Clemence Msindo) was afforded a chance to liaise with Mrs Ntobeko Mogadime who is Shell SA’ Social Investment Manager for a possibility of having full time mentors from Shell SA for IkamvaYouth learners.
Many thanks to Elyjoy Ikunyua, Business Development Manager and Nandi Ngubeni, Client Support Officer at Charities Aid Foundation, for bringing this development initiative to IkamvaYouth and its partner, Kaalfontein Secondary School. “I am so honered to have hosted IkamvaYouth at my school, and now my school is benefiting through IkamvaYouth. I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with IkamvaYouth and great thanks to CAF and Shell SA for making this happen”, says Mr K.G Maduma, the Principal of Kaalfontein Secondary School.
IkamvaYouth joined various stakeholders on the 26th of February 2015 in a Community Engagement meeting organised by the University of Johannesburg’s Community Engagement Department.
The stakeholders meeting, attended in representation to IkamvaYouth by Clemence Msindo (Ivory Park Branch Coordinator) tackled various issues that affect education and developments as well as strategic objectives to counter attack these barriers. In attendance to meeting were representatives of civil organisations that support education around the Gauteng region, School principals and UJ student reps and officials who were all afforded a chance to present about their works.
IkamvaYouth was given a chance to present its works, successes and challenges. The presentation which included showcasing of the Funeka video left all delegates eager to know more about, and join hands with IkamvaYouth. Invitations were extended by at least three principals for IkamvaYouth to open branches close to their schools and were however encouraged to use the IkamvaYouth model on their own and with help from volunteers they manage to source out.
The UJ Community Engagement Manager Mrs Ernestine Meyer-Adams expressed concern over our works and shortage of volunteers and promised to do all she can to drive a concrete partnership with IkamvaYouth where we see UJ recruiting and transporting volunteers from all three UJ campuses around Johannesburg to nearby IkamvaYouth branches on every Saturday sessions. Efforts had been made for UJ to provide volunteer tutors at their expense in 2014 but later failed to mature due to challenges in lack of follow-ups due to staff turnout.
The Ivory park branch has submitted a partnership proposal as per request by UJ’s Community Engagement Department officials, Mrs Ernestine Meyer Adams and Community Engagement Liaison Specialist Mrs Rachel Monki Sebigi. We give much thanks to Dr Welcome Kubeka of the University of Johannesburg for his long time volunteering delivering study skills sessions with the Ivory Park and Ebony Park branches and for initiating IkamvaYouth’s involvement in UJ programmes.
“It takes a village to raise a child… IkamvaYouth has been a second parent to my child, guiding and mentoring him to become disciplined and improve his marks. ”, said Mrs Khumalo, a parent for Mbuso Khumalo, a grade 11 learner who won a school bag for Best attendance Male learner award on the Ivory Park Open day prize giving event.
Parents poured in on the 7th of March 2015 to find out the truth behind the IkamvaYouth programmes their children are committed to at the Ivory Park branch. The meeting which was dominated by presentations, questions, testimonies and discussions between parents and IkamvaYouth staff provided a vision and reason for parents to actively participate through support to their children to be disciplined and focus as well as improving attendance to keep their spot at IkamvaYouth as there is much benefit through it. 85 parents attended the meeting marking the highest parents meeting attendance since 2014 when the branch had many challenges. Most of the attendants were parents of the newly enrolled learners as they were eager to learn more about IkamvaYouth.
There was high participation and energy within the parents making the meeting effective with some strategic planning to improve branch operations. The parents agreed to support IkamvaYouth by keeping in touch with IkamvaYouth staff reporting and inquiring about every challenges and successes they notice with our learners. Agreement was reached as well that the parents would report anything with regards to learner attendance which will lessen learner administration workload on IkamvaYouth staff.
Issues of indemnity we also discussed and parents were informed about the importance of signing indemnity forms ahead of special events and travel for leaners initiated by IkamvaYouth. Great support was promised with parents agreeing to monitor and enforce the learners to attend winter school fully and also encouraging grade 12 learners to attend the best of the time they get outside the SSIP programme. Parents encouraged IkamvaYouth staff to compile a list of all learners who attend IkamvaYouth programmes and have the list kept at schools or pasted on school staffrooms for educators to release the learners for IkamvaYouth programmes where school afternoon classes bind learners’ attendance.
Dr Welcome Kubaka from University of Johannesburg blessed the meeting with some words of motivation to parents testifying that he grew up in Tembisa Township from a very poor background and still used every opportunity he got to rise up to prominence. The next parents meeting was scheduled for the sixth of June 2015 with follow up matters being discussed regarding set goals and targets. Great thanks to parents for their support over IkamvaYouth programmes and response to IkamvaYouth meetings which propels us to greater achievements through their input to successfully operate.
Simplice Kamen-Payong, one of our longest serving volunteer tutors shared a touching testimony to parents of how he changed his profession to teaching. Kamen Completed his Masters in Business and Financial Management with UJ and is curently doing a Diploma in Teaching. According to Kameni, he got touched by the poor educational conditions in Ivory Park Township and with the love he received from Ikamvanites, he felt he could do better teaching kids to enlighten their futures.
Hear from the Ikamvanites themselves:
Beauty Komone: “I grew up in an Ivory Park Township in a disadvantaged family of seven where no one including my three siblings (who are out of high school) have gotten into tertiary. Tutoring and other programmes that are run by IkamvaYouth have boosted my performance and the way I perceive life. I am now going to University to study IT.”
Benny Matlou: “IkamvaYouth is not just an educational organisation, it is also an organization of personal growth and empowerment, which takes youth through a journey of self-discovery where one gets to build their personal values and learn the importance of respect, loyalty, dedication and self-discipline. IkamvaYouth has truly lifted me off the ground to new and better heights.”
Jabulile Khoza: “IkamvaYouth went the extra mile by organising winter school, educational trips, career guidance events at the convenience of our branch. Another amazing thing that IkamvaYouth did for me, my life and my career was to link me with an amazing mentor who now is still awesome. It is a blessing and a huge privilege to be an Ikamvanite.”
Nokukhanya Mdlalose: “I would like to thank IkamvaYouth for helping me. Because of them I have achieved a bachelor pass and now have a chance to go to university.”
Mapule Molebatsi: “I joined IkamvaYouth in grade 10 and since then my marks have improved. I now have a bachelor pass and I know that if it was not for the help and encouragement of IkamvaYouth, I would have never gotten this far.”
Nereth Vuma: “IkamvaYouth gave me help that I couldn’t get anywhere else; they did it with willingness and encouragement. I am grateful for the help I have received from IkamvaYouth.”
Mrs Mpangane (Mother of Tiyiselani who achieved 7 distinctions): “Thank you IkamvaYouth, I hope you continue to do the same for other children this year, next year and many other years to come.”
Shelton Chadya (tutor): “I feel very, very happy because seeing these learners do better than we did, we can’t celebrate enough. Most of the learners are people that I tutored. Well done guys!”
Cheryl Nzama (IkamvaYouth Staff Member): “We are very excited about the results coming out of IkamvaYouth. The standards have been set and we hope that IkamvaYouth Mamelodi will achieve the same standards to give learners the best possible opportunities and education.”
Felicia Mpande (Grade 12 learner 2014): “IkamvaYouth assisted me greatly by exposing me to career workshops, computer literacy and creative expressions and has been a second home to me. Thank you for all the help you gave me.”
Lloyd Lungu