As the rain poured down, there was a fear spreading amongst us that no one was going to turn up; left with an empty library with rain tapping depressingly at the windows…
Thankfully, our fears were completely unfounded. More than 2500 students braved the weather and came to the Harare Library on Friday afternoon to explore their post-matric choices. The majority of students were Grade 12s but there were also a large number of Grade 11s, some Grade 10s and even some Grade 8s. It was great to see the younger learners beginning to think about their futures from a young age.
The queue to sign up for the workshops delivered by Jean Alfeld, Sizwe Matoti and Lindela Mjenxane
IkamvaYouth’s founding motto is one of future oriented thinking and pro-activity. The Careers Indaba is a fundamental step in fostering this mind set in the youth of South Africa. It is challenging to dream of a better future and to aspire to goals without knowing the realities of these goals and the opportunities that are available.
Universities, companies, and NGOs from all over Cape Town attended the fair. They did not merely provide factual information about careers and studying opportunities, but they also conversed with these young people and delivered a message of hope and possibility. This message is crucial for youth who are the victims of poor education systems and who live in a community plagued by poverty and all its products:
‘Academic failure is a consequence of the beliefs that students hold about themselves and about their ability to have control over their environments’ (G. Hutt & F. Pajares)
IkamvaYouth focuses on changing the mindset of youth, to think beyond their immediate circumstances and to believe in themselves and the possibilities that their futures hold.
When interviewed by The Sowetan reporter on Friday both Equal Education and IkamvaYouth agreed that this event is vital for youth in township schools and must be expanded. Tsepo Khanye, (NSFAS representative) also agreed: ‘This is a fantastic event and is well patronised. We need to make this bigger and longer, we need to get more youth exposed to it. Next year we should partner and hold something at Oliver Thambo hall to build on this success.’ Lets hope!
It was inspiring to see that there was appreciation for the event, both from exhibitors as well as students. Many learners commented at how much they had gained from the experience. An un-named Grade 12 from Mfuleni High School commented that ‘I have so much to think about now. About my future and about how I can get there’. More events of this nature are needed to make more youth believe that there are accessible and obtainable options for their futures.
Equal Education was the partner on this event and produced amazing publicity materials and helped to organize the day. IkamvaYouth is hugely appreciative to Ntshadi Mofokeng and her team for making it happen! A huge thank you to Lulama Langeni from the Harare Library for letting us take over her space for the whole day!
Following the devastating fire in Masiphumelele on 2 May which destroyed over 1000 homes, ikamvanites have been juggling their schoolwork and IkamvaYouth tutoring and winter schools with having to rebuild their homes and recover after losing all their posessions.
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Thankfully, the Masi branch has garnered support from many numerous donors, including Foschini, Masi Corp and a number of individuals (including Alex, Andy Sudermann, Philipp Schmidt, Charlotte and Tim Sun). The positive effect of these investments enabled the ikamvanites to replace their stationery, schoolbooks and uniforms, and build and better insulate their homes.
The improvements have allowed homes to be functional again and a certain amount of normality is returning to these learners lives. The first stage of this project has ensured that each learner has adequate shelter in which to live and to study.
The ikamvanites and their families send out the following thanks:
“Hi all, I just want to thank you for helping me. Often I’ve been told not to get my hopes up but now I know that I can get them up because there are people like you. You’ve shown me that I can hope to someone. Guys I don’t know what to say really because you’ve done a lot for me and my family, so all I can say is ‘Thanks’ and I appreciate everything because we could not have rebuilt my room without your help. I just so wish that I can see and than you face to face or to be able to give back to you one day!” Sandiswa Bani
“I write this letters just to show appreciation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. What you did for me and others was a good thing and by writing this letter I am showing my never fading gratitude. I now have a safe and warm home because of you. Thank you so much. They say a hand that gives is blessed. The same kindness will be shown to you.” Zintle Nyaniso (Grade 10 Ikamvanite)
I Aphiwe from IkamvaYouth just wanted to show my appreciation a big big thank you for what you guys have done for me. You give me everything I needed and I am so happy for these things that you give me. Really really thank you you guys inspired me to make a lot easier for me. Don’t give up with what you are doing. Keep on doing it. You will make a difference to South Africa. It will take long, but don’t get tired we need you.
My name is Khanya Gutyana. I would like to thank you for everything you have done for me for all of us Ikamvanites affected by the fire. You helped us a lot. Some of us didn’t know where to start. Even our parents didn’t know how to begin rebuilding our lives. But you helped us. Thank you so much guys, we appreciate everything you have done for us.
Hi. I write this letter to say thank you very much. You have helped us so much. I always say to bless a person that helps others. You have shown care, love in what you have done for Ikamvanites in Masiphumelele. It makes me realise that there are people who care and people who make me feel special. Sihle Nini (Grade 10 Ikamvanite)
I am writing this letter to say thank you for the money that you gave to us. It will help us a lot and also we appreciate the work that you are doing for us because it means a lot and shows me that people care. Avile Mabengu (Grade 11)
Mothers of the Nation.
While men go to work, they stay home with five children and seven month’s pregnant, they move up and down the whole day looking after the children and the whole house because their love is splendid, courageous and unconditional.
They carry a human being in their bodies for 9 months. They bring pure love and happiness to each and every moving skeleton they see in the street.
These are the mothers of the nation, women who care for the nation; their intention in this world is to bring joy, peace, happiness and inspiration. They are the ones who change the world, they give birth to doctors, engineers and presidents but their abilities were never recognised.
They are like candles in a room with lights, and those candles were never allowed to shine because the light’s brightness was strong. They were put under a shadow of darkness where no light could shine, but today they are the best seas in all oceans, they are the stars that shine in the sky. They walk with pride and dignity pulling their shoulders up and saying “I am in control.” These are the mothers of the nation, women who care about the nation.
Their big hearts are being celebrated all over the world. Women who care for the nation like the late Mama Albertina Sisulu, women who fought for the nation, women like Oprah Winfrey, women who care for the nation. Those are the mothers of the nation; those are the stars that shine in the night.
The world is so blessed to have my mother, your mother, your granny, my aunty because those are the mothers of the nation, women who care for the nation.
– Dieketso Boshego (Grade 11). IkamvaYouth Ivory Park.
In January I started coughing, losing weight, sweating and I got sick until I was very weak. When I went to the clinic, the worse news I got, came as a shock to me that I was diagnosed with TB. I was immediately started on treatment.
I visited the clinic again to get the final results after six months, the male nurse who was responsible for my file, was not there, because he was on a training course, but ultimately on the 27th of July 2011 I found him, and the best news I ever got was that, “My boy you are discharged from TB treatment, your results are clear” he said. The nurse, who received me for the first time in that clinic, told the other man who was just diagnosed with TB to look at this boy, he is such a good example, he has just completed his treatment and is cured of TB.
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mta8uxSIN78
I would like to thank all the people who were supportive during my time of shock and disbelief. I would like to encourage those who are afraid of testing for TB when they are coughing to do so and adhere to TB treatment because if I can beat it, you can also beat it.
Emmanuel – IkamvaYouth Ivory Park. Grade 10.
Since Susan Alexander began the Careers Indaba (winter school) in 2008 it has become an annual event at all 5 IkamvaYouth branches. This year 500 learners across the country were engaged in these 2 weeks programmes. At Masiphumelele 68 learners attended the library everyday to discover new information, meet new people and to explore themselves and their futures.
IkamvaYouth has the primary goal of enabling youth living in townships to access education. Thus the winter school had to squeeze in some tutoring time, much to the disgruntlement of the learners. Luckily a full scale revolt was evaded by the dedication of our volunteers who orchestrated literacy and numeracy fundamental sessions and somehow made learning fun!
Or maybe their discontent was quelled by the wide range of exciting and novel workshops and excursions; tai chi, computer blogging, drumming leadership, yoga, drama, creative writing, dance, debating and many more. A wonderful day was spent rock pooling under blue skies in at Cape Point and at St James with SaveourSeas Shark Centre. The budding journalists were bused off to Pinelands for a crash course in magazine production. Read about this project at www.livityafrica.com. We also made a trip to University of Western Cape for a Fun Day for all 3 Western Cape branches.
The daily speakers were amazing, providing real life testimonies about hard work and commitment, as well as developing learner’s knowledge about career and study options. One visitor of special note was Vice Chancellor of the University of the Free State and acclaimed writer Jonathan Jansen. Mr Jansen gave an inspiring talk to the learners, which was followed by a lively discussion about education in South Africa. He even offered the Ikamvanites 5 full scholarships to the University of the Free State. He must have been impressed!
The winter school is hugely significant for the underlying impact that it has on students: social skill development; productive engagement throughout the holidays; time to explore ones own interests; meeting and talking to peers; learning to appreciate volunteers; learning to believe in yourself. A Grade 10 learner commented: ‘I have had the bets time of my life here and I will always carry this memory with me’.
When everyday you are faced with the issues of poverty you have little time to think about yourself or to dream about your future. When these learners do take time to dream they do so within the confines of their self and society’s expectations of them. This mindset makes these expectations a reality and contributes to maintaining the cycle of wasted potential and poverty.
The winter schools give a chance for young people to think outside of these boundaries and to gain access to information that inspires them to dream far beyond them. IkamvaYouth is focused on harnessing these potentials and with the help of Masiphumelele Library they are achieving this.
On the last day of the winter school we held a drumming workshop conducted by the Rhythm Workshop (www.rhythmworkshop.co.za). I saw the vibration of a room full of 80 eager, excited and inspired faces, grinning uncontrollably as they followed the drum beats. It is times like this that make me love my job! Everyone who contributed to making the Careers Indaba a success helped to put smiles on faces and to inspire young minds.
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.
Lloyd Lungu