By Lizile Hams
IY Makhaza branch conducted pre-exam grade 10 English literacy assessments on Saturday, 30 October. The objective for the evaluation was to gauge each learner’s ability to read, spell and write and to test individual comprehension and reasoning process levels. Since their enrolment at the beginning of the year, the grade 10s demonstrated keen interest in improving their individual abilities to speak, write and read the English language. Credit to a number of interventions from IY volunteers and other visiting professionals, the learners are a least five steps better than they were when they started at IkamvaYouth. More importantly, publicly available research indicates that an improvement in the English language for second language speakers is sure to have a positive impact on how they progress in other learning areas.
The evaluation took a fun and interactive format and learners enjoyed it thoroughly. To encourage dedicated participation and a spirit of winning, the branch organised prizes for two best performing learners. Branch co-ordinator Mr. Winile Mabhoko could not contain his excitement, “This is not just another grand opportunity for our learners but a great platform for us to prepare them for the final exams in their respective schools,” he said. The evaluation process was moderated by visiting volunteer Mrs. Ayanda Nyoka. With a strong academic background in Communications and Political Science and experience in working with children, she developed an immediate connection with the learners. “IkamvaYouth is doing a sterling job in developing these young minds and I can’t help but feel obliged to come back and contribute more,” she said.
We all understand how stressfull the exam time can be, and how stressfull preparing for the unknown. Although writing the final examination brings anxiety and tension amongst other people, but for the learners at Ikamva Youth (Makhaza) this year’s preparation for exams was blessed with some words of inspiration. The Makhaza branch was visited by a renowned international motivational speaker Mr. Dan Brule who has travelled the world conducting motivational sessions with professionals using Breathing Technques. What a beautiful session we had and the learners we thrilled by what they have experienced on the day. The session came at the right time when they really needed some inspiration to deal with their stressfull exam time. Dan Brulé is a modern day teacher and healer. He is a world-renown pioneer in the field of Breathwork, and leader of the worldwide Spiritual Breathing movement. Dan is one of the originators of Breath Therapy, and was among the first group of Internationally Certified Rebirthers. He is a leading member of Inspiration University, the International Rebirthers Association and the International Breathwork Foundation. He is a master of Prana Yoga (the Hindu Science of Breath), and of Chi Kung/Qigong (Chinese Medical Breathing Exercises). On that high note I’d like to say to all the learners out there that you have already made a GOOD move to commit to your school work thus far, now it’s time to go for the BETTER move. Ayoba!
IkamvaYouth Makhaza has been fortunate to receive the Answer Series books. These workbooks from the Answer Series will provide our learners and future learners with an additional resource to achieve educational success. Makhaza is overjoyed to give its learners the Answer Series books to its learners between grades 10 to 12. Depending on the learner, he or she received workbooks ranging from Maths, English, Accounting, Physical Science, to Life Science.
From all of us at IkamvaYouth Makhaza, THANK YOU ANSWER SERIES!!
[youtube]fyeq3Fp04aw[/youtube]
Here at IkamvaYouth, we are all family. So, when one of our family members has made the decision to go forward with his or her life and start something new, we at IkamvaYouth know no better way to send him or her off than with a party! Our beloved comrade Luyanda Kota, previously the director of IkamvaYouth Makhaza, has taken a new path in his life and found employment with another organisation, and we all wish him the very best. Instead of saying goodbye, crying, and having feelings of loss, we at IkamvaYouth surprised Luyanda with a party at Mzoli’s!
Together, we celebrated the times we had with Luyanda as a volunteer, a tutor, a mentor, a role model, a director, and most importantly a dear friend. Tutors, fellow staff members, and interns all took part in the Mzoli’s party with Luyanda.
We are very proud of Luyanda and wish him the very best in all the paths he takes in the future. ONCE AN IKAMVANITE, ALWAYS AN IKAMVANITE!
We are in the Internet generation – a time where being savvy with technology and with all thing “e-” related is absolutely essential. Our reliance on the post office and on print has gone done sharply, and now… we are web-based in almost every way. Social networking has always been a major step to opening opportunities to the future, and now, the internet has provided the perfect medium to have an enormous social network. Because of this, we at IkamvaYouth have revamped our Operation Fikelela and included more than just Microsoft Office and typing to our computer literacy curriculum. We understand that students don’t only need to know how to type correctly, use a spreadsheet, create a CV, etc., but that they also need to know how to navigate the internet and use it for communication.
We began with our 9th and 10th graders. IkamvaYouth Intern Christopher Fan facilitated a computer literacy session on 5 August 2010 to give each 9th and 10th grader his or her very own email address as well as facebook profile. The reasoning behind this was simple: social networking and increased communication ability will provide more opportunities. Christopher facilitated the proper style of email account (names and surnames as opposed to names such as babymama or igotswagger) to make it both easy to remember as well as professional. Afterwards, Christopher had all students create a facebook account and then advised them to friend each other as well as fellow Ikamvanite interns and tutors.
We are proud to welcome our students to the Internet Age!
11th Grade Learners at IkamvaYouth Makhaza are now speaking about hate crimes. So what is a hate crime? A hate crime is when a person or group of persons targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, etc. Our students at Makhaza are using Siyayinqoba’s workshops on addressing this issue and hopefully… beating it out of their lives!
Part I of our lesson on Hate Crime focused on defining a hate crime and to understand that it does not happen only in South Africa. Using a poem from the US, learners were able to hear tutors Christopher Fan and Ginia O’Neil speak about the history of United States after slavery and the hate crimes committed on blacks in their country in the 1930s. Students then were asked to speak about groups they feel are victims of hate crimes. Examples they provided were Somalians, immigrants, gays, lesbians, Indians, Asians, and many more. Moving beyond this, the learners agreed that hate crimes come about negative stereotyping. To make this idea clear, the tutors made the learners draw their depiction of a Somalian, a Politician, a gay person, an Indian, and an artist. The pictures drawn were of stereotypes (i.e. Somalians in grass skirts, a man wearing makeup, a woman wearing a sari). We finished Part I by having the students talk about what groups in their neighborhood could be targeted and what they can do about it.
to be continued.
Lloyd Lungu