IkamvaYouth has some great stories about how ikamvanites become core staff members. Did you know that Nico ended up randomly at Makhaza one Saturday morning following a suggestion from the person whose couch he was surfing? Four years later, and he’s established the Masi branch and doesn’t seem to be making any plans to return to France any time soon (holding thumbs!)
Zoe Mann floated into IY on a cloud ready for a few months of interning, and two years later, she’s finally decided to get on her bicycle (literally!) and continue exploring the country after being all-consumed at the Masi branch and playing a key role as a project manager for natcom.
Ikamvanites from across the country have sent heartfelt goodbyes. On Saturday, Zoe said, “this is my last day at IkamvaYouth. I just wanted to say thank you so much for your involvement with Ikamva. It is an organisation I strongly believe in and will continue to support it in anyway I can from wherever I may be. It is the volunteers, as well as the learners and staff, that have made my time here absolutely incredible. I have learnt so much from every single person I have met here and I truly respect what Ikamva and yourselves are contributing to this world. Thank you for being part of my life and IkamvaYouth’s life.”
Nico wrote “Zoe, you really made a difference at the IY branch and also within the community. You inspired me with your eagerness of doing things right and so creatively. I am very happy for having worked with you from July 2010 and will always be pleased to know you will be around IY even when you will be studying. As the US Marines and the Boys & Girls Scouts, we saay “Ikamvanite today, Ikamvanite forever”… I wish you Fair and inspirational winds, Sis.”
Zoe, your contribution has been awesome; your fun, can-do attitude is infectious and you’ll be sorely missed by all of us! The other IY branches are hoping to see you riding up to visit on your flashy red bike 🙂
PS A big shout-out of thanks goes to Jullard Creations who created this beautiful bike, which Zoe can put on her desk when she next has to sit behind one ;-). Juma and Willard have been friends of IkamvaYouth since the 2008 xenophobic attacks when they spent some time staying in the Desmond Tutu Hall adjoining the Makhaza office.
Masiphumelele March Newsletter highlights…
Leopard Trust Camp
The Easter Holidays begun and to celebrate we loaded a bus full of the most committed Ikamvanites (most were platinum learners with 100% attendance) and drove to the Cedarberg wilderness picking up some young people from Mitchells Plein along the way.
Ikamvanites had expressed an interest in being exposed to more diversity, which spoke to Nico and my heart. We therefore jumped at the invitation from the The Leopard Trust and roped in a church group and Mondale High School in Mitchells Plein and headed off for a week of sleeping in tents, eating off laps, and having cold showers!
The programme was a perfect mix of social and personal development alongside conservation, environmental awareness, cultural history and leisure. As you can imagine it was a rather special week. Students were challenged with a 4 hour hike up to the Wolfberg Cracks, a solo hike, cooking for 30 people, and washing up for 30 people. Games were played around the campfire in English, Xhosa, Afrikaans and even French (so Nico didn’t feel excluded). Moreover it gave a chance for youth from different backgrounds and cultures to unite and find common ground and develop beautiful friendships.
With words like ‘Phenomenal’ and ‘Mind-blowing’ being used to describe the week it clearly had an impact on the learners. Various lessons were learnt over the week. Phumza Kibi realised ‘that as people we must look after each other and help someone if she/he needs help. There is no room for selfishness”. Many opened their eyes to the need for environmental conservation and committed themselves to recycling and saving water in their communities. The camp gave learners confidence, both socially and personally; “I will now never give up, I will always strive to reach the top!!” Okuhle Beyaphi.
Ladies Club Sleepover and Beach Day
Isabel Malone has been holding Ladies Club once a week for the past few months and decided to organise a sleepover and beach day in her final month. 20 ladies, including GAP volunteers ascended on Isabel’s house on the 24th March and tucked into spaghetti, snacks, popcorn, and chocolate whilst they watched chick flicks, and discussed all manner of issues and topics.
The Sunday was spent on Muizenberg beach getting rather windswept. Several were brave enough to tackle the ocean on a surf board. We now most certainly have some surfer girls on our hands!
Man Club hike and St James swimming lessons
Man Club is firmly up and running and March saw the men learning to swim, and hiking up local mountains. It is such an important project that emphasises what it is to be a man and the responsibilities and pressures that young men of South Africa have put upon them and how they can navigate these pressures and duties without jeopardizing their futures.
Initiated in July 2010 by the World Teach volunteers, the Masi Man Club’s has been created for answering youth concerns, promoting personal development, supporting collective actions within the Masiphumelele Community.
In 2011, the Masi Man Club’s members have been really active in supporting people who have been affected by the fire in May 2011. In fact, they volunteered their time to help carry building material and rebuild houses.
The format of each session answers 3 requirements:
– To be outside of the Library or outside the Community,
– To have a physical activity through sports or collective games,
– To provide time for a topic discussion.
Nick Jones, history teacher and tutor at the Masiphumelele Branch, took over the Masi Man Club to propose a space where Ikamvanites can raise their concerns, express their opinions; propose solutions in a safe environment.
Members proposed the following topics to be discussed and developed along the year:
– What does that mean to be a Man for me today?
– What are the different kinds of relationships? And how a young man will deal with them?
– Peer pressure and peer support?
– Drug abuse and risks behaviours
– Protected sex.
– Dealing with my emotion.
– Get more information on fire safety, and get skills to answer this issue in the community.
– Career choices
– Hiking
– Repartition of tasks within the members
– Fundraising for the Masi Man Club activities and outings.
To be continued… 🙂
All of IkamvaYouth’s programmes are delivered ‘for’/’by’ the youth rather than ‘to’ the youth. IkamvaYouth’s methodology is based on a learner-centred model that values democratic decision-making at the branch and national level, paying-it-forward, learner ownership, operational transparency, and peer-to-peer learning.
IkamvaYouth values the need to create a culture of responsibility and works in a way that gives learners responsibility for their peronsal actions but also raises their awareness of the consequences and impact of their actions on others. The SPW is a key mechanism to raise this awareness and create this sense of democracy, transparency, and accountability.
At the SPW the Branch Committee is elected, which maintains this democratic youth-led structure. Each branch’s management committee (branchcom) is voted annually and everyone (including parents, partner organisations, learners, community leaders) is welcome to participate in branchcom meetings held every two weeks. Everyone gets one vote; official branchcom members get two. Everything is discussed openly and transparently (including salaries, performance reviews, budget decisions etc.) and everyone gets a say in how things are done at the branch level.
2011 Timeline
The BranchCom is elected at the beginning of each school year at the Strategic Planning Weekend (SPW). This year at Masiphumelele it was spread across 3 weekends.30 learners attended the 1st session to find out more and then a core group of 15 maintained an interest in participating in the decision-making process. The 3 sessions were great and encouraged learners to think about their needs and wants within the programme and even touched on external concerns that could be addressed through Ikamva.
The 1st BranchCom meeting will be held on the 12th March and the BranchCom will be officially elected. Through this system, learners are really owning their choices and valuing their input into branch decisions. It is truly special to see this and it is what makes IkamvaYouth an innovative and exciting programme.
Please see the SPW report for an overview of what was discussed and how participation was fostered.
On the first day 30 learners arrived to find out how they could get involved
In November 2011 Masiphumelele Library in partnership with Edunova and IkamvaYouth became the recipients of an EIFL-PLIP grant.
EIFL (Electronic Information For Libraries) is an international organisation that is making a marked impact on the library world. With their slogan ‘Knowledge without Boundaries’ they are committed to developing a global network of libraries and their partners. The PLIP (Public Library Innovation Programme) grant supports innovative solutions to address socio-economic problems in developing countries.
Thanks to the grant, the Masiphumelele Library’s existing substandard computer facility will go through a dramatic transformation and will be updated with computers, projectors, printers and scanners. This new computer centre will be one of a kind in Masiphumelele and will offer an exciting space for youth to engage with technology and develop their computer skills.
The grant is not only concerned with hardware and the facility itself. EIFL is part of a global library initiative that aims to upscale the role that libraries can play in community development. To make a lasting impact in a sustainable way, EIFL promotes that libraries and their partners must advocate for themselves, to gain recognition as key players in the field of international development.
The new library at Kranj is offering innovative solutions using technology, to address societal problems
It is this that led Susan Alexander (Masiphumelele Librarian) and myself to Slovenia for a conference on Advocacy and Impact Assessment. Over the course of 4 days we under went training through the practical application of advocacy and communication strategy.
Colleagues from Estonia, Croatia, Macedonia, Kazakhstan in a discussion session
The people we met were inspiring and the skills we developed have empowered Masiphumelele Library and IkamvaYouth to embark on increased advocacy activities for the causes for which we work.
The first step is to get the centre up and running. The computers and desks are being fitted in the next 2 weeks and our facilitator, Nyasha Sithole, is undergoing intensive training, supported by Edunova. Once established, the centre opens up a range of exciting opportunities and possibilities for Ikamvanites and the wider library community.
First and foremost the centre will give all Ikamvanites direct access to a computer literacy programme. In addition the centre will engage young people in career guidance activities and assist and empower learners and the unemployed to access the workplace.
This is an exciting development for the Masiphumelele Library and IkamvaYouth is proud to be a key partner in establishing the library as a centre for community empowerment.
Keep and eye on news about the centre and the projects that will take place.
‘We’re really going places’ Drama Club
The drama club started in Masiphumelele several months ago and with their performance of a scene from Broken Promises, an exciting new book launched by non-profit Cover2Cover, they have found local fame.
They have already performed at the Masiphumelele Library, Franschoek Literacy Festival, Matthew Goniwe High School, and Open Book Festival Cape Town. Phumza Kibi is a member of the group and was asked to be the cover girl for their latest book ‘Sugar Daddy’. The posters are up in the library, at school and obviously in Phumza’s house!
Cover2cover provided each member with their own copy and profuse thanks for their involvement.
Cover2cover is a fresh new publisher dedicated to filling a need in the South African book market: popular fiction relevant to the lives of the millions of township teenagers. It is making a huge difference toward creating a culture of reading in South Africa, particularly amongst township youth. The eagerness that Ikamvanites have approached these books has been fantastic. Reading and re-reading copies that are already well-worn.
Cover2 Cover made an initial donation of 10 books to Masiphumelele Library and have been kind enough to offer a donation to other IkamvaYouth branches.
The popularity of the books and their demand has demonstrated that there is a need for relevant literature aimed at this target audience. However, these books shouldn’t just be distributed in townships as the issues raised are relevant to all teens. In a way this exciting social entrepreneurship organization could have a profound impact on the way youth in South Africa read as well as building understanding and relationships between each other. It is wonderful to be a part of such an exciting venture.
The drama club are busy scripting the whole of Jealous in Jozi so that they can put together a full drama performance – watch this space!
Lloyd Lungu