Western Cape learners & tutors at the close of our two-week intensive tutoring during June holidays (Winter School).
IkamvaYouth branches in the Western Cape Province achieved a matric pass rate of 77%, of which 37% are Bachelor passes, and 27% are Diploma passes. 102 learners were enrolled in three branches.
The Nyanga branch came out tops this year with a 90% matric pass rate. A whopping 52% of those who passed also obtained Bachelor passes, while 29% obtained Diploma passes.
The top learner at the Nyanga branch is Kamvalethu Willie who obtained an average of 73%. He also received a distinction for Economics and will be studying towards a BCom in financial accounting at UCT with a full bursary from SAICA. Kamvalethu has been attending tutoring sessions at the branch for five years and had this to say when asked how he managed to keep coming for all those years: “I realised that the help I get is really important and Ikamva is a really nice place to be. It’s nice for me because whenever I achieve something they encourage me. I feel welcome here and it’s like a second home.”
Kamvalethu Willie from Nyanga
The Masiphumelele community lives up to its name, which means “let us succeed”. In the December of 2015 yet another fire ripped through the community leaving many people homeless. Four months into 2016, the community was still trying to recover from the losses and rebuild their lives. Furthermore protests in the community, against crime, had a significant impact on learners’ attendance at school and tutoring. It’s under these circumstances that the Masiphumelele cohort of Matrics started their year. Regardless of all this, Ikamvanites in Masiphumelele were able to achieve an 80% Matric pass rate with 33% of the learners achieving Bachelor passes and 30% with Diploma passes.
Nicolas Commeignes, the Branch Coordinator in Masiphumelele had this to say about the results,“It is an absolute delight to celebrate learners’ successes, especially since we have been overcoming hurdles together and sharing great achievements for almost 4 years now. Through the programme, learners gain maturity and feel more equipped to leave the location and community they grew up in. What has struck me time and time again is that they never forget IkamvaYouth as they always come back to visit; support their families and inspire the younger generation”
One of the top achievers at the Masiphumelele branch is Samkele Hokwana who obtained a Bachelor pass and would like to pursue a degree in Medicine or Mechanical Engineering and says “It’s a matter of days for me to take a new step in life”. On how he achieved his success, Samkele had this to say, “In order to succeed, you have to capitalise on the resources available to you. For example, if I acquired more knowledge while working within a group of classmates, I would focus on that.”
Samkele Hokwana from Masihumelele
Makhaza is home to IkamvaYouth’s largest branch, with 41 learners who sat for the 2016 Matric exams. For the 2016 Matric exams the branch achieved a 66% Matric pass rate where 29% of the learners obtained Bachelor passes and 24% with Diploma passes.
Aphaphame Mzayiya is one of this years top achievers at Makhaza and he will be studying filming and video technology at CPUT. He obtained two distinctions in Geography and History and had this to say about his results,“Finally getting my results has been a relief; it’s been one long holiday anticipating what the future holds. Now I know for sure I will flourish in my field” Aphaphame has come to be known as the resident poet and entertainer and is excited about the field of study he has chosen, “I learnt about IkamvaYouth through a video on YouTube. I then immediately visited the branch. That has been the best decision I made.”
Aphaphame’s advice to the upcoming Grade 12 class is to “just study while others are sleeping.”
The Makhaza branch didn’t perform as well as expected, given its impressive track record of results over the last 11 years. Thankfully, most of the learners who failed are eligible for supplementary exams, and will be receiving intensive support in the lead-up to these second-chance exams. Access to learners has been a major challenge for the branch this year, as learners have had to attend compulsory extra classes at school. IkamvaYouth is hoping to forge a partnership with schools and districts similar to that in the North West Province, where collaboration between the government and the NGO maximises scarce resources in serving learners’ individual needs,and yielded a 90% matric pass rate for Ikamvanites in the region.
IkamvaYouth had matrics writing in ten townships across five Provinces, and learners achieved an overall 85% pass rate; 69% of which are either Bachelor or Diploma passes, ensuring their eligibility for tertiary studies.
About
IkamvaYouth is a non-profit organisation, enabling disadvantaged youth to pull themselves and each other out of poverty through education. The organisation provides free after-school tutoring, career guidance, mentoring, computer literacy training and extra-curricular engagement to learners in grades 8-12. The organisation is currently operating in 16 townships in 5 provinces across South Africa. To find out more, go to www.ikamvayouth.org or call Hetile on 062 105 1707
Peers in Sexual Health (PSH) visited IY Makhaza branch on Thursday afternoon, 03 November, to present about the sexual health issues that are facing the youth today. The presentation and engagement was attended by 44 Grade 10 learners.
The topic for the day was STI prevention. The learners engaged on this topic by outling the risks associatied with STIs; the ways of prevention, treatment, symptoms and the stages of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Jabulile, PSH representative, showed the learners illustrations of STIs developing in the body and explained the process. Siphokazi Ntlati, Makhaza intern, assisted Jabulile by jotting down questions the learners were asking during the presentation. One learner, Aluncedo Mzamo, asked whether STIs are listed as a chronical disease and if they lead to death. Jabulile explained that STIs are not chronical and can be cured, however they may lead to death if not treated. Treament for males and females are not the same as STIs are different. Tebogo Mayaphi, grade 10 learner, thanked Jabulile and expressed how helpful the information shared is as he has provided clarity on the questions he had regarding the differences in treatment for males and females.
To end the session Jabulile gave learners male and female condoms and pamphlets to read more on sexual related diseases.
A huge thank you to peers in sexual health for partnering with IkamvaYouth.
Dikikapa is an organisation that aims to inspire and motivate the youth of South Africa, particularly those who are still in high school, to use education as a tool to achieve their dreams and contribute positively to society. The Dikakapa Everyday Heroes workshop took place on Saturday 20th of August with 40 eager grade 10 learners participating. The workshop was vital as it placed an emphasis on career guidance for the learners who are still thinking about their career path. The workshop was facilitated by the ever vibrant, Hlumani Ndlovu, who is the one of the founders of the organisation.
The workshop focused on inspiring and motivating young minds in order for them to become independent. Fundamentally, the workshop was about the discovery of who you really are, knowing that you are human enough to make mistakes and to learn from them. It also addressed changing the manner in which young people think. ‘’We were inspired to stop thinking about failures because this reinforces negative ideas/thoughts in our minds, thereby not allowing opportunity for positive thinking’’ Aluncedo Mzamo, grade 10 learner, shared about the workshop.
The other burning issue identified were the destructive decisions that young people make in their lives. Engaging conversations about self-value were tackled, with some learners sharing that they sometimes value the opinions of their friends and what is trending in pop culture above their own which proves to be disastrous in achieving their set goals for academic development. “Make decisions that will coincide with your dreams and not allow others to taint your future plans’’ was the theme from the discussion.
“’We learned that anyone is capable of changing their circumstances for the better. and this can be achieved through hard work. “ enjoyed reading and participating in the expressive experience’’ said Zizipho Paule, grade 10 learner.
‘’The message I have for you is to take control of your future. Anything can be accomplished if you are dedicated and apply yourself. Aim high for a better academic future“, Hlumani said in closing.
To find out more about Dikikapa, you can visit their facebook page Dikikapa- Everyday Heroes
On a sunny Saturday morning on 30th April, Makhaza gr. 11 Ikamvanites travelled to the leafy UCT campus to attend a University preparation workshop organized specifically for them, by UCT Golden Key Society. Golden Key is an internationally recognized, non-profit organization and the world’s largest honour society, whose membership is limited to the top 15% of degree students at selected universities.
IkamvaYouth learners were welcomed by UCT GK Service Director Katherine Tredinnick, Committee Member Kossivi Fangbemi and Service Sub Com Members Tinashe Choga and Lindsay Cook, who gave short presentations on a variety of study-related subjects. The importance of a healthy diet, exercise and sleep were highlighted as effective ways to reduce stress. Fun videos and slide shows advised Ikamvanites on the benefits of avoiding a big study sessions right before exams and improving time management by organizing a timetable with shorter studying sessions. The 9 best scientific study tips were shared in detail with the enthusiastic audience.
During the question and answer session, Ikamvanites engaged GK members with a number of questions on university student life and on their personal studying techniques. Their answers highlighted the importance of making notes in one’s own words, asking teacher or tutors for clarification if needed and organizing small study groups with close and motivate and always studying to understand so that you may confidently pass on the information to the next person, “If you can’t explain it to someone else then you don’t know it.”
Keynote speaker for the day was the formidable and passionate Ms. Nambita Ntshongwana, Student Recruitment Officer at UCT Admissions Office. Ms. Ntshongwana reiterated how high school students residing in Cape Town metro should feel a sense of ownership towards UCT and strive to ensure their rightful place there, by keeping up their grades to allow for admission. She urged learners to be responsible in their choices and to be wise with time allocation, “If we know which PSL teams are playing, we should also know in just as much detail, university admission requirements and other information key to our future.” We need to invest today in the vision that we have for our tomorrow, we must have not only dreams but solid plans. Ms. Ntshongwana mentioned the existence of a strong partnership to allow students to reach a bright future through tertiary education: the government, NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) and their parents are ready to support their vision, but they need to actively participate and ensure good grades in school to qualify for that support. By focusing on and prioritizing their studies, with great and constant motivation, they can turn their heir dreams into reality.
The workshop has been a great opportunity for Ikamvanites to get exposure to UCT campus, to receive guidance and practical tips from university students and to get inspired about the possibilities that their future might bring.The day was memorable and highly motivational, as shown by the posters and presentations learners prepared on the focal points of the experience.
We thank UCT Golden Key members for coordinating the day, for their time, passion and support. We look forward to organising similar events in partnership with tertiary education institutions and a number of students associations, to ensure Ikamvanites will have useful tools to succeed in the future, since we always say ikamva lisezandleni zethu, the future *is* in our hands!
The news of the passing of one of our Ikamvanites has come as a shock to the IkamvaYouth family. Thembakazi Nyakatya joined IkamvaYouth in 2008 while she was doing grade 10. As a young girl from the township, education was the only option for her to become successful. Despite the peer pressure young girls experience in townships she chose education and kept up her attendance until she matriculated in 2010. While she was in grade 12, her positive influence encouraged her little brother Unathi Nyakatya to join the programme, thereafter her second brother Bazise Nyakatya in 2012. In 2011 Thembakazi came back to IkamvaYouth as a tutor. She believed that her background could not be an obstacle to achieving her goals, and it wasn’t. In 2014 she graduated with a diploma in Management at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. In April 2016, while she was sick in hospital, she missed her BTech graduation.
Thembakazi was a role model not only to her siblings, but to many in the IkamvaYouth family and the community at large. We would like to express our condolences to her family. Lala Ngoxolo Thembsie.
If you ever wondered what drives IkamvaYouth branches for the whole year, then you should listen up…
Take a little bit of inspiration, add to that some coaching and a lavish dose of planning, then you have the ultimate recipe to run a branch for the entire year. The 27th of February 2016 was the day Makhaza decided to try out that recipe…..once again!
09:00am sharp, parents, learners and mentors came together to launch the mentoring programme for the 2016 Matric cohort. Highly expectant and excited to meet one another, you could tell they were a bit anxious about the day. Tamara Stelman, Mentoring Coordinator from UCT, started off by thoroughly explaining to the attendees, what the programme was about; what is expected from each party and what she is hoping will be achieved by the end of the mentoring year. She then moved on to pairing the learners with their mentors, you could really see from the faces of the learners and parents, that they were more than impressed with the profiles of their mentors. We were off to a good start, the learners were inspired!
Following that, was a workshop session that included a one-on-one session for further introduction; signing of the mentorship agreement and the sharing of goals,fears and expectations for the year. During the workshop session, Busiswa Dayimani, Branch Coordinator, had a brief meeting with the parents about their expectations for their children, what is required of the parents and the planning that they must do to prepare for the following year. In that meeting a parent, who is a teacher at one of the schools in Makhaza, stood up and voiced what she thought of IkamvaYouth. She said, “I have been watching IkamvaYouth for a period of time now and i want to commend the work that you are doing in this community, you are definitely bringing about a good change in our learners!” Whoop whoop, go team IY! Before you could take it all in, the event came to a halt.
Immediately after that, it was Strategic Planning time! This is where the branch committee, a committee that consists of staff, tutors and learners, gets to set targets for the year, decide on structure that works bests for all members and gets ideas flowing on how to make Makhaza a better branch. The programme for the day kicked off with some really colourful and interesting looking name tags. Yanga Totyi, Branch Assistant, lead this team of Superheroes in discussions in which the team delved into the objectives of the 2016 committee; dissected the responsibilities of each portfolio; set targets for each portfolio and engaged in discussion on the quality of results at the branch and how improvements can be made. All work and no play makes a Branch com dull, hence Lungile Simakade, Branch Intern, shook things up with a few games and icebreakers in between discussions.
Phew! What a day! It is in events like these that the engine of IkamvaYouth branches is oiled and if you would like to get involved in any way…as a mentor or a tutor, please check this LINK out!
Someone once said, “The world is changing, BE ON THE TRANSITION TEAM!”
Lloyd Lungu