The 2013 IkamvaYouth Annual Report highlights the remarkable achievements that we have made in 2013 by enabling disadvantaged youth to pull themselves and each other out of poverty with education.You can view the full annual report here but here are some of the highlights from 2013:
- 92% of our learners passed their matric (including supplementary exams); 62% achieved a bachelor pass (compared to 30.6% nationally) and 90% of our learners accessed a post school opportunity (tertiary, learnership or employment);
- The first survey of IkamvaYouth’s alumni was conducted. The findings were more encouraging than we could have hoped: IkamvaYouth learners are almost half as likely to drop out of tertiary studies, four times more likely to graduate and are three times less likely to not be in education or employment than the average South African young person.
- IkamvaYouth WON the Stars Award which exists to reward outstanding local organisations improving the lives of children in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. IkamvaYouth WON in the category of Education in Africa and the Middle East.
Thank you for taking the future into your hands, and to holding ours. Let’s keep reaching for the stars together.
©Neo Ntsoma/Majority World
If you are having trouble with the link please click on the below link:
ikamvayouth_annual_report_2013.pdf
On Friday the 11th of April, University of Witswatersrand opened its doors to aspiring high school learners. 35, Ebony Park Grade 12’s came together to see what university life looks like as well as to decide on their tertiary options. With the help of our very committed volunteer Hlengiwe Radebe, the learners were divided into 3 specific groups upon arrival. The humanities groups was led by Nyasha Zvomuya, the Ebony Park Branch Coordinator. The commercials group was led by Michael Thema, the Ebony Park Branch Assistant, and the last group of aspiring scientists was led by Hlengiwe Radebe.
The open day was very organised with 30 minute seminars being hosted by different faculties in different lecture rooms. The facilitators explained what programmes were offered in their faculties, what the minimum admission requirements were and what career opportunities students could look forward to after completing their studies. The learners’ then had ample time to ask questions and meet the lecturers who teach in those faculties. It was a very exciting experience for our learners and has given them an even added push to do well in their final exams.
“I now know what is required for me to follow my dream to be a doctor, if I get accepted at Wits,” said Quintress Sefala, one of the Grade 12 learners. Another learner, Virginia Sibanda, could not express how grateful she was to get the opportunity to attend such a spectacular open day. She said, “Thanks to IkamvaYouth, we know that all things are possible”
The mentorship programme has been a great success since its formal inception 2 years ago at the Ebony Park Branch. There have been many success stories with many of the mentorship relationships going beyond the agreed time frames becoming real life long relationships.
Saturday the 8th of February was the start of our mentorship programme for 2014. About 40 Grade 12s waited eagerly to get introduced to their new mentors. The branch was overwhelmed with the positive response from professionals around Gauteng who were also eager to get started. The programme started at 10am, with Lewis Mash, the Alumni Coordinator taking the mentors through what mentorship at IkamvaYouth means and how long a commitment it should be. This was followed by a question and answer session where all the mentors could get clarification on concerns or questions they had.
One mentor, Lindani Lufu, who holds a Masters in Civil Engineering could not hold her excitement after beeing paired with a young Grade 12 learner who is an aspiring civil engineer.” All roads lead to success,” she said, with a big smile on her face.
We are excited to start the year with a BANG and the call for mentors still continues as we would love for all our Grade 11 Ikamvanites to have mentors walking with them too. Starting the relationships out early in the year will give the mentors enough time to work and encourage their mentees success.
The 30th of November 2013 was yet another spectacular event day for Ikageng branch. Excitement and anxiety had the best of most grade 11learners at Ikageng as the first mentorship programme waited launching on this particular day. Hosted by IkamvaYouth and ABI, the event opened up a wider range of opportunities for these young township learners as they got paired with a mentor to take them with advice and support throughout their high school career till at tertiary level. Clemence Msindo(IkamvaYouth) and Georgette Naidoo (ABI) coordinated the day’s activities energetically.
Excitement started building up after a motivational speech by Roston from ABI that followed talent revealing acts and presentations from learners and tutors. Patrick delivered a speech explaining the significance of learners having mentors and guidelines on how the programme would be run. 18 grade 11 learners were later paired with mentors using a random selection method whereby mentors were addressed separately and picked up learners of the same sex with them from a list provided to avoid other learners feeling inferior when they couldn’t get mentors that day. The idea was also to surprise learners as the names were called and each two strangers officially met to start a long professional relationship that will see the learners being guided with suggestions, ideas, advice and networks useful as they follow their career path.
It was indeed an exciting event seeing smiling faces taking each other through the first meeting that marked a record in the history of the Ikageng branch being the first mentoring programme in the first IkamvaYouth branch in the North West Province and the first mentoring programme involving our main sponsors ABI’ staff as mentors. The day was a successful learning platform for all parties. The mentors and learners were given one hour introducing and getting to know each other, exchanging contacts and signing commitment contracts to assure each other and seal the deal entered between the two. There is much hope that the 17 learners who could not get mentors on this day would be paired with their mentors by end of February 2014. A total number of 35 grade 11 learners are expected to complete grade 12 with required attendance and commitment.
Meanwhile the learners who were not receiving mentors were engaging into different traditional plays and activities waiting for the main Sports Day events after the mentorship programme launching. The sporting activities started with four houses being selected from which teams were chosen to compete against each other in various gaming activities, each team having 17 members.
The sack race officially opened up the games for the day. The rules were simple; “hop your way in a sack to the finishing point without tearing your sack”. Spectators from either side were shouting and chanting songs supporting their teams. The event was getting heated with every activity carried out.
The egg race spiced up the games adding excitement to the event. The idea was to cross the finishing line on the first position with an egg safely settled in a spoon. Every team bravely fought to out-compete another so they could collect the highest number of points.
The wheelbarrow race concluded the competitions taking all participants to the prize giving ceremony for the day. Surfaced under the sun on good weather, the day ended sooner than expected as the fun kept calling for more games. Prizes were of backpacks, and were presented by ABI to team members from each side, who had collected highest marks than others. Special thanks to our sponsors ABI for gladly hosting the event as well as providing lunch and drinks that quenched everyone’s thirst. The day marked an official and successful year-end for the Ikageng Branch, leaving great expectations of embracing the year 2014 with much hope of taking on other IkamvaYouth programmes soon, with renewed strength and pride as Ikamvanites.
Tsiba Report
EDUCATION AND LIBERATION When we arrived at the June 16th Celebrations, it felt like we had stepped back into 1976 Sharpeville riots. This is true; when one considers that you are standing next to Antoinette Sithole, Hector Peterson’s sister. We find out that Hector Peterson’s traditional Xhosa name was Zolani. She told us about the day her brother was shot .She encouraged us to live a fulfilling life and to get educated because “…without education you are nothing.”
Antoinette also told us about the incorrect manner in which the nation is celebrating Youth Day/June 16. “It’s as if people are celebrating my brother’s death. It was inspiring as she explained that one’s background does not determine your future when it comes to education, especially with endless financial possibilities, like bursaries which are available. An interesting part of our day was when parents and children conversed in a quiz. One of the questions which was posed was, how do you feel about education in this democratic era?
MANDELA DAY On the 13th of July, we celebrated Mandela Day. As part of the Tsiba Project, we had to choose a practical project which we would assist for 67 Minutes. As Masiphumelele representatives, we chose to clean the Muizenberg beach. We wrote a message to Madiba, wishing him a speedy recovery. Our facilitators arrives and took pictures of what we had done, after which we returned to Tsiba. We were then addressed by a speaker who told us about how his grandmother taught him to achieve the seemingly impossible. For example, in the old days, women were not allowed to become lawyers. He notably also informed us that, without energy, a human being cannot function. We had a brilliant day!
ENKE LEADERSHIP CAMP CONTRIBUTORS: SIBONGISENI JONAS ZIZO MDINGI SINENJONGO NGXAMELENI NCEBAKAZI NGCABA ZIZIPHO NGXOLA SINOVUYO QABA Attending the Enke Forum Class of 2013 was a great experience! It was incredibly fun and worth the long journey from Masiphumelele to Wellington. On our first day we had to introduce ourselves to the other trailblazers who hailed from various provinces within our country. One of the memorable things about the camp was that every games and/or activity held a lesson which was incredible. We learned lifelong lessons about leadership skills and gained increased knowledge, compared to what we knew about the subject before. We now have the task of applying the knowledge which was imparted. Even more, we have an opportunity to impact our communities and as the youth, we are eager to change the world in order to be a better place. On 7 July, the CEO of MXIT gave a profound speech and one of our Masinites, Sibongiseni Jonas thanked him on behalf of all the learners.We were each given an opportunity to choose a project which will uplift our community. The Enke leadership made us realise that the future lies in our hands and we can change the world. In order to bring about change, we need to think positively about ourselves and allow nothing to stand in our way. Coupled with strength and courage, we shall succeed in our projects and carry on our leadership skills. Various towns and countries were represented and this added to the diversity of the camp. It was compulsory to speak English and this also improved our language proficiency. Another highlight was when we watched a video of a girl and her boyfriend. The couple was in love and in a trusting relationship. The girl cheated on her boyfriend and she wanted to shift the blame. The moral of the story was, “Love someone as if it is the last day of your life.” Despite the story relating to a romantic relationship, it also showed us how we should treat each other. Lastly, it is important that we relate one of the lessons on leadership that we were taught at the Enke Forum. We did a visualising exercise in which we had to project where we thought we would be 15 years from now; the need for respect and how to break free from our comfort zone. A wonderful, life changing experience that we shall never forget!
Lloyd Lungu