Thursday 3 January 2013 was a jubilant day for IkamvaYouth Nyanga as the Matric results came in. The Matrics made their way to the branch to share their results with staff, fellow students and tutors; and by mid-day, 100% of the learners’ results were accounted for.
Nyanga achieved a whopping 90% pass rate, broken down as follows: 30% bachelor passes and 60% diploma passes. The learners who failed to achieve a senior certificate qualified for supplementary exams.
Esethu Jack, who achieved a bachelor pass, said the following: ‘When I woke up this morning, I was very nervous, but I knew I had a bachelor pass.’ Aphiwe Sobutyu achieved a diploma pass and his mother, Mrs. Sobutyu had this to say: ‘he didn’t need to tell me. I already knew he had a diploma pass because it’s in his blood.’
It is gratifying to share the joy of success with the learners and their parents, and these results have motivated the branch to keep working to support the learners. One of the tutors, Busiswa Dayimani said, ‘these results are good and it makes me so happy to see the learners having done so well.’
Here are some inspirational stories from some of our learners:
Akhona Mtshwelo
Achievement – Bachelor pass
Accepted at UWC to study BCom Accounting
Akhona lives with her siblings and uncle in Lower Crossroads in Cape Town. Studying at home was often difficult for her since there are difficulties at home, with family members prone to picking arguments and fighting with neighbours, even late into the night. This means that she often had to wait for everyone to fall asleep before she could study. Her older siblings also failed to appreciate the hard work she was putting in at school and often gave disparaging remarks about her marks, despite those marks being higher than the grade and class averages.
During the 3rd term of her Matric year, she suffered from a severe knee problem for 4months, which prevented her from attending Saturday classes and afternoon classes at school. However, she persevered and studied alone at home, during that time.
Akhona has made it despite illness during a crucial time of the year, and an unsupportive family system. Her advice to the class of 2013 is that they work hard and have a good attitude towards their studies and teachers because attitude goes a long way.
Nomathamsanqa Dunga
Achievement: Diploma pass
Thami is a young woman whose fighting spirit saw her overcoming debilitating asthma throughout most of her high school years, to emerge as one of her school’s and IY’s success stories. Diagnosed with asthma while in Grade 9, she had to live with the condition, being hospitalized once after a severe attack.
During her Matric year, Thami faced a hostile learning environment at school, when the school combined the Matric Physics classes. She reports that it was similar to learning with one’s enemies, since relations between learners in different classes were far from cordial, at her school. At times she felt afraid to ask questions due to the abuse that would inevitably come from fellow class mates. However, despite all this, Thami worked hard and persevered and is one of the 2012 success stories.
The solutions and innovations that will change the world – the cure for AIDS, technologies that will curb environmental destruction, art that unites and inspires – are inside young minds. Young minds that need an education so that these solutions can be developed and tapped. Sadly, most South African youth are enrolled in schools that struggle with the basics – from textbook distribution to learner safety – and so are denied the kind of education that engenders problem solving, innovation and leadership.
However, there is a fast-growing group of young people who refuse to be hopeless or overwhelmed. They are the ikamvanites: learners, tutors and social entrepreneurs who’ve developed an innovative solution to the problems of poor academic achievement and low access to tertiary education. Today, their branches in Gauteng and KZN are celebrating their 100% pass rate and 56% bachelor passes. Overall, 91% have achieved the bachelor or diploma passes they need to access tertiary education. Many ikamvanites excelled (22 distinctions achieved so far overall). “Education is the only thing that can catapult me, a daughter of a domestic worker, into the position where I can make gigantic improvements in our country and continent, by stimulating entrepreneurship, promoting education and tackling crime,” says Ntebaleng Morake, who achieved four distinctions. She’s been accepted at both Wits and UCT and will be studying Law and Politics next year.
The branches are celebrating their results with learners, tutors and parents. “IkamvaYouth has been incredible in helping my child to achieve so much at school. I am so happy today. Now- she has been accepted in three places- and we are confused what option she will take, though I know there are some out there who do not have even one option. Thank you, IkamvaYouth!” enthused Mrs Makhubele.
The Western Cape results will only be available either later this afternoon (according to WCED website) or tomorrow (according to the DBE). However, learners are currently arriving at the branches in Nyanga, Makhaza and Khayelitsha to share their results with their fellow ikamvanites and celebrating their bright futures.
“We’re very proud of all the learners and tutors and thankful to IkamvaYouth’s supporters who enable these life-changing results”, says Sbusiso Kumalo, board member of IkamvaYouth and head of Capitec’s Corporate Affairs. The tutors who help the learners to reach these heights are all volunteers. Most are university students and many are ex-learners from IkamvaYouth. They’re also the organisation’s greatest benefactors: this year, ikamvanites will be delivering the equivalent of well over 7 million rands’ worth of tutoring time to learners in nine townships in five provinces. The result of this phenomenal investment is an intensive, high quality programme that offers ongoing individual attention and support to learners for between R5k and R6k per learner per year.
IkamvaYouth is a by-youth, for-youth volunteer-driven initiative that was established in 2003 and has since been expanding across the country. There are no academic prerequisites for enrollment in the programme, which is free of charge. Most learners join with abysmal academic results and are from impoverished homes with unemployed caregivers. The impact of the programme is phenomenal. As Asanele Swelindawo, an orphan who managed to get three distinctions, says, “I now have the ticket to improve my life and one day be able to take care of my family”.
The full national results will be released once data from the Western Cape is available. IkamvaYouth sends an open invitation to all who want to join in the celebrations at their branches.
CONTACTS:
National Coordinator: Zamo Shongwe; zamo@ikamvayouth.org; +27837347246
Western Cape Coordinator: Liesel Bakker: liesel@ikamvayouth.org +27798854372
Gauteng Coordinator: Patrick Mashanda: patrick@ikamvayouth.org; +27 74 673 1215
KZN Coordinator: Thabisile Seme: thabisile@ikamvayouth.org; +27 716109838
The big number of parents that attended, showed the willingness and dedication these parents have for their children’s education.
At the meeting a number of issues were discussed with some of the more important issues being the role IkamvaYouth plays, attendance, the IY mission and vision, the benefits of being part of IY, report collection and tertiary placements for 2012 grade 12s. The parents also spoke about their experiences of the program, the concerns they have and how all the different projects and tutoring plays a role in shaping the lives of their children. The parents were excited about what their children are doing at Ikamva Youth and also looked forward to reaping the rewards and sharing in the successes of their children.
Also part of the meeting was the tutors who had opportunity to voice their opinions, concerns and successes they had while tutoring this year. One thing that stood out was the willingness of everyone present to make this program a success. One parent noted that this is one of the very few organisations that add value to her child as well as her life. She said that education is key in fighting poverty and finding a way out of township life and thanked IkamvaYouth for accepting her child in the programme. A grade 12 parent noted that money is one of the biggest stumbling blocks that keep their children from going to university and through IkamvaYouth’s involvement and our endeavors in helping students get bursaries, paying the application and registration fees, we are helping to make their dreams a reality.
The success of our programme is directly linked to the involvement of parents and through the interaction at the meeting we realised that the future of this beautiful country is looking bright. There is a willingness of people everywhere to make a difference and once a vision is shared it becomes a reality. Success breeds success and this saying was proved at the meeting. If everyone plays their role, no matter how small and insignificant they might think it is, change is possible.
Each Ikamvanite shared their unique understanding of the vision and then collaboratively mapped the way forward, brainstorming the ways in which the different branches will implement it.
After re-visiting the vision, the group launched a discussion on the targets for 2013 and the IY budget, at both branch and provincial level. The targets set for our current Matrics lie between an 80% and 100% pass rate for all our branches across the country and our average spend per leaner continues to show that we can make a difference in the lives of the young people we work with, at very low cost. As testimony to this, 12 of our Matrics from the Makhaza branch have been pre-accepted into different courses at the University of Cape Town and this can be linked directly to the influence of the IY program and model.
The relatively low spend per learner partly motivates our vision to expand and replicate the existing IkamvaYouth model. Not only is our model tried and tested for 9 years, but it is cost effective and therefore accessible for everyone who wants to take part in building an even better South Africa.
Our day ended with the IkamvaYouth staff exchanging gifts. It was a fun but meaningful time, where we realised once again that IkamvaYouth is not just an NGO, but a family that really cares.
This past Friday finally saw months of preparation and planning for our annual Career Indaba come together in a hugely successful day. Over 1800 students, parents, and community members flooded the Zolani Centre hall in Nyanga to explore their post matric choices and job opportunities.
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.
The event was open to high school learners from around Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Masiphumelele and surrounds, who came together to think about their futures and really take their lives into their own hands. They were informed not only about their career options, but also attended workshops on financial literacy by Capitec, and CV writing, interview skills and online CV development through Career Planet.
Over 25 Universities, companies, professionals and NPOs from all over Cape Town attended the Indaba as exhibitors. 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: IkamvaYouth focuses on changing the mind-set of youth, to think beyond their immediate circumstances and to believe in themselves and the possibilities that their futures hold.
The day was an inspiring success, with many learners and exhibitors commented at how much they had gained from the experience. Axolile, grade 10 from Sizimisle Technical High School said the most important thing he learnt is, ‘to know what you want to be in life and be dedicated, this will for sure get you to be where you want to be. ‘ While Sizalobuhle from Sinako High School said that, ‘ the Career Indaba helped me learn more about my dream career of being a lawyer, where to study and how to get into the best courses and universities. I also found out about how to apply for bursaries, and how to manage my money through the workshops.’
To organize an event of this size we partnered with Equal Education in helping to organize exhibitors and set up the event, and SAEP and the Department of Social Development joined the crew. We are also hugely appreciative to Mxolisi and his team at the Zolani Centre for the use of the hall and surrounding spaces.
Inspired by the National Planning Commission’s story of Thandi, which Trevor Manuel told as a way to depict the key challenges facing the country, IkamvaYouth has launched Funeka’s Story, which explains IkamvaYouth model and its impact, and sends out a call for volunteers and supporters.
[video:http://youtu.be/NEFflXglk28 align:center]
A BIG UP THANK YOU to:
* Funeka, for sharing your story and being such a professional voice-over artist!
* Capitec for availing Funeka during work hours to go to the sound studio
* Dan Eppel who recorded and mixed the sound
* Freshly Ground for donating the tunes
* the staff and interns who helped behind the scenes,
and especially to:
* Lynne Stuart (@ideainaforest) for applying her design talents to explain what we do so concisely and beautifully!
Lloyd Lungu