About our workshops
The first session was a parents meeting which ran from 10h00am until 11h30am. The induction is tailored to inform parents on the learners matriculation prospects and providing progress reports on Ikamvanites attending our after-school tutoring classes. It is refreshing to see parents taking initiative by showing interest in their children’s academic progress and the work that we do.
The second session was our grade 11 workshop that ran from 11h35 to 13h30pm. See the picture below of our Ikamvanites, fully dressed in their designated school uniforms.
What The Grade 11 Induction Workshop Entails?
This induction workshop introduced both our current grade 11 Ikamvanites and parents to the structure of our tutoring and mentoring programmes for 2017. The workshop specifically focused on setting expectations, the procedures, practices and requirements for the programme.
Also covered in both workshops were the differences between the three pass levels namely: the Higher Certificate, Diploma and Bachelors Degree (which was previously known as an exemption). This was covered by Ntombi Mahlangu, the Kuyasa Programme Coordinator. The induction process included the pass requirements for each of these levels; the prerequisites for tertiary enrolment; what is meant by conditional acceptance and what to do in order to satisfy the requirements for full admission at certain tertiary institutions. Furthermore during the session with the learners, they were taught to calculate for themselves their matric pass type using mock academic reports so they could be aware of their term 3 pass status. For your interest, click here for the matric pass type calculator.
The induction programme was well received by both parents and learners. They remarked that it did not only provide both parents and Ikamvanites with crucial information about the learners’ next step as matriculants, but it also enabled Ikamvanites to become more positively aligned with their personal goals.
We are proud of all Kuyasa Ikamvanites! Through their constant effort they have managed to maintain outstanding academic performance.
We are looking forward to seeing many of our amazing parents again in 2017!
The vibrant State Street mentors have shown that an essential first step in a successful mentoring program is for both the mentor and mentee to identify, define, and honestly articulate their common and individual goals and motivations. On the afternoon of the 28th of September 2016, the Masiphumelele matriculants attended their closing session with their mentors. The learners were ready and very excited to catch up with their mentors especially since we’re getting closer to the deadline for tertiary applications and exams!
Thato Kola (State Street Mentoring organiser) and Nathan (State Street vice Director) gave some motivational words to learners, before they paired up with their mentors for their final session. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the State Street mentors and their team for knowledge and wisdom they have imparted upon IY learners. It has been a great help and support throughout the year. I believe success for our matriculants is at least in part due to the sincere support and mentorship provided by State Street.
Moving from one place to a desired place entails beginning with an end in mind. A wise man once said “It’s very hard to be successful without having a good mentor, it is essential to have someone you can look up to and emulate. Also, a mentor will show you the tricks and pitfalls of the game because they have likely already been around the block.” – Varun Gulati
On this day, 5th of March, IkamvaYouth Ebony Park branch together with Comensa held its mentorship workshop. As part of the five IkamvaYouth programs, Mentoring has been a crucial element in achieving IkamvaYouth goals and Mission. Gauteng Ikamvanites in grade 12 and 11 had the opportunity to network with professionals from different organization where mentoring was the main objective of the day.
On the day, mentors/coaches were given time to introduce themselves and tell Ikamvanites what they bring to the table and how it can beneficial in the long run. The Kolb Learning cycle was used as an example to learners so that they can better understand what role the mentor plays in the mentorship relationship. Ikamvanites participated in a session where expectations and roles were dealt with. Amongst the roles discussed was that a mentor is a facilitator, advisor, source of information, and amongst other things, a networker. Ikamvanites were urged to take charge and drive the agenda.
As it was said before, IkamvaYouth enables learners to make a transition from one current state to another state through mentoring and its other programmes. Through mentoring IkamvaYouth is hoping to Increase high school graduation rates; lower the high school dropout rates, encourage healthier relationships and lifestyle choices; create better attitudes towards school; increase University/college enrolment rates and educational aspirations; enhance self-esteem and self-confidence; improve behaviour both at home and at school; strengthen relationships with parents, teachers, and peers; improve interpersonal skills for learners and decrease the likelihood of drug and alcohol abuse.
As they say “It takes a village to raise a child” and Ikamvayouth is challenging you to join its mentoring program and help a child realise that their dreams are possible.
Their future is in their hands!!
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!”
Having a mentor for a young high school learner can set you up for a life time. The guidance and mentoring that professionals give to high school learners is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
GetSmarter and IkamvaYouth (Nyanga Branch) have collaborated in one of IkamvaYouth’s core programmes, mentoring. Where a young professional is partnered up with a high school learner for 12 months and the mentor guides and assists the mentee in their academic walk from matric into tertiary.
IkamvaYouth learners made their way on the 25th of February to the GetSmarter offices in Observatory to meet with their mentee’s and get the ball rolling of the year. The matric learners were very excited to get out of their comfort zone and head to the big city with lights. The session started at 16:00 was intended to end at 18:00 however it was one interesting and fun session that it went slightly over time.
This relationship formed with Getsmarter is one exciting one for IkamvaYouth because the learners get to have quality mentors who are interested in their career and where they will be in the future.
We surely can’t wait for our next visit
As can be seen in our
Annual Report 2014 was the year of growth for us: our matric class was 63% bigger than the previous year, we reached over 1,700 learners and we opened our tenth branch. But let’s not forget why we are here, for most of South Africa’s children, the only way out of poverty is through education. Ikamvanites (IkamvaYouth learners) continue to prove that anyone and everyone – irrespective of the school one attends and the socio-economic status of one’s parents can achieve his dreams and escape poverty.
Please read more in our 2014 annual report about the innovation of our model, why we need more Ikamvanites, hear from the Ikamvanites themselves and why our three largest donors of 2014 (Omidyar Network, Amalgamated Beverage Industries and Capitec Foundation) continue to support us.
It is thanks to these donors and many others that we have been able to achieve the results that we have over the last 12 years. South Africa’s future rests on the success of our children. IkamvaYouth is fundraising to reach even more of South Africa’s children in 2016 and needs your support. Please contact me if you would like to discuss supporting IkamvaYouth or find out more about us.
Lloyd Lungu