Our Masiphumelele students have been invited to participate to the eMzantsi Carnival. The theme, this year, is focused on sustainable development. All of the costumes have been made from recycled materials. Youth will parade with 800 other young people from all over the South Peninsula Communities. It will be a time to celebrate our cultural diversities.
Save the 3rd of December to watch and encourage the Youth at the Parade on the Kommetjie Road. All information for time, location on their website: http://www.emzantsi.org.za/
The Nyanganites experienced a day not to be forgotten, after hearing about the facts of drug abuse and a talk from Delcia, a recovered addict who spoke about her addiction and how she got help and stopped using. The learners have shared how badly drugs have messed up their families and communities.
Nyanga is notorious for its drug abuse and alcohol abuse and we are faced with learners dropping out of school due to this problem. We have learners who have brothers and sisters highly addicted to drugs and this workshop helped us as staff and tutors to understand better what help we can give to the learners affected by drug abuse.
A big Thank You goes to Call The Rain for running the workshop for us. Call The Rain is an organisation that specialises in storytelling. In their workshops, people share personal stories. The hope is that people will hear the message in the story and consider changing. Call the Rain is clear that they can never make the change for others; that is peoples’ own decision.
Thanks to Sabrina for making sure our Life Skills workshops are going well.
The Masiphumelele Library was a flutter with excitement on Saturday afternoon when it was announced that a very special visitor was coming to see the library and to converse with the organizations working in the library.
Welcome Camilla Parker-Bowles, The Duchess of Cornwall, wife to Prince Charles!
She arrived at 1pm, and was barely visible through the hoard of paparazzi and officials. However, when she did emerge from the crowd, she chose to sit at the table with several hard-working Ikamvanites! With heads down studying diligently for their pending matric examinations the Duchess was obviously impressed with their commitment.
Phindi Buhlungu, Vuyelwa Adonisi, Khanya Gutyana, and Anathi Bekiswa were the lucky ones who had a good chat with Camilla. They spoke about the IkamvaYouth programme, how their exams were going, how often they come to the library, why they come and what they want to do in the future. They were all impressed with her and said she was very friendly and they were proud to speak to her about IkamvaYouth.
We waved the Duchess goodbye but not before we managed to sneak a copy of Flying Colours to her! I am sure it will be viewed by the entire royal family – The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla all snuggled up on the sofa on a Sunday evening!
Whether or not it does get viewed and whether or not she will remember the learners she spoke to, her visit highlights the importance of the Masiphumelele Library and recognises Susan Alexander’s, Thando, and Veronica’s hard work in making the library a vibrant centre of community activity. IkamvaYouth is proud to partner with the library. A big thank you to the Library Team!
By Liesel Bakker
It’s been hard to ignore these past few weeks the coverage at Chris Hani High School in Makhaza involving a brutal attack leaving Malibongwe Melani, a grade 12 student, severely injured in hospital. (See articles in the
Voice of the Cape and
Cape Argus) Students are feeling very embittered with school life, the dysfunctional state of the school and the powerlessness of feeling unsafe in the very place they’re supposed to be learning and developing. A small group of students vented these frustrations in a very destructive way, making fires, throwing desks, rocks, sticks and other objects off the 2nd floor school building, at the principal, police and whoever was unfortunate enough to be in their path, shutting the school and disrupting scheduled exams.
However our amazing Ikamvanites are not letting this huge disruption to their exam period and school life get in their way of being the agents of change in their lives and of their friends. The Grade 11’s from Chris Hani came to us asking for extra physics classes to catch up not only the 12 weeks of work they missed by not having a teacher as well as the 2 weeks of disruption to their regular school day. So today, while the sun is blazing and their friends are all playing soccer in the road, they are instead sitting in our office learning about lenses and light with practical examples taught by our newest volunteering ikamvanite, retired UCT lecturer
Prof John Greene.
These learners are really inspirational not only to other Ikamvanites but to their friends as well as the small group of destructive students. These are truly learners making the impossible happen for themselves, showing the others how no one can stand in the way of being the change in their lives.
Well done Ikamvanites, and Big Up to Prof John Greene!!
As the rain poured down, there was a fear spreading amongst us that no one was going to turn up; left with an empty library with rain tapping depressingly at the windows…
Thankfully, our fears were completely unfounded. More than 2500 students braved the weather and came to the Harare Library on Friday afternoon to explore their post-matric choices. The majority of students were Grade 12s but there were also a large number of Grade 11s, some Grade 10s and even some Grade 8s. It was great to see the younger learners beginning to think about their futures from a young age.
The queue to sign up for the workshops delivered by Jean Alfeld, Sizwe Matoti and Lindela Mjenxane
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.
Universities, companies, and NGOs from all over Cape Town attended the fair. 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:
‘Academic failure is a consequence of the beliefs that students hold about themselves and about their ability to have control over their environments’ (G. Hutt & F. Pajares)
IkamvaYouth focuses on changing the mindset of youth, to think beyond their immediate circumstances and to believe in themselves and the possibilities that their futures hold.
When interviewed by The Sowetan reporter on Friday both Equal Education and IkamvaYouth agreed that this event is vital for youth in township schools and must be expanded. Tsepo Khanye, (NSFAS representative) also agreed: ‘This is a fantastic event and is well patronised. We need to make this bigger and longer, we need to get more youth exposed to it. Next year we should partner and hold something at Oliver Thambo hall to build on this success.’ Lets hope!
It was inspiring to see that there was appreciation for the event, both from exhibitors as well as students. Many learners commented at how much they had gained from the experience. An un-named Grade 12 from Mfuleni High School commented that ‘I have so much to think about now. About my future and about how I can get there’. More events of this nature are needed to make more youth believe that there are accessible and obtainable options for their futures.
Equal Education was the partner on this event and produced amazing publicity materials and helped to organize the day. IkamvaYouth is hugely appreciative to Ntshadi Mofokeng and her team for making it happen! A huge thank you to Lulama Langeni from the Harare Library for letting us take over her space for the whole day!
Following the devastating fire in Masiphumelele on 2 May which destroyed over 1000 homes, ikamvanites have been juggling their schoolwork and IkamvaYouth tutoring and winter schools with having to rebuild their homes and recover after losing all their posessions.
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Thankfully, the Masi branch has garnered support from many numerous donors, including Foschini, Masi Corp and a number of individuals (including Alex, Andy Sudermann, Philipp Schmidt, Charlotte and Tim Sun). The positive effect of these investments enabled the ikamvanites to replace their stationery, schoolbooks and uniforms, and build and better insulate their homes.
The improvements have allowed homes to be functional again and a certain amount of normality is returning to these learners lives. The first stage of this project has ensured that each learner has adequate shelter in which to live and to study.
The ikamvanites and their families send out the following thanks:
“Hi all, I just want to thank you for helping me. Often I’ve been told not to get my hopes up but now I know that I can get them up because there are people like you. You’ve shown me that I can hope to someone. Guys I don’t know what to say really because you’ve done a lot for me and my family, so all I can say is ‘Thanks’ and I appreciate everything because we could not have rebuilt my room without your help. I just so wish that I can see and than you face to face or to be able to give back to you one day!” Sandiswa Bani
“I write this letters just to show appreciation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. What you did for me and others was a good thing and by writing this letter I am showing my never fading gratitude. I now have a safe and warm home because of you. Thank you so much. They say a hand that gives is blessed. The same kindness will be shown to you.” Zintle Nyaniso (Grade 10 Ikamvanite)
I Aphiwe from IkamvaYouth just wanted to show my appreciation a big big thank you for what you guys have done for me. You give me everything I needed and I am so happy for these things that you give me. Really really thank you you guys inspired me to make a lot easier for me. Don’t give up with what you are doing. Keep on doing it. You will make a difference to South Africa. It will take long, but don’t get tired we need you.
My name is Khanya Gutyana. I would like to thank you for everything you have done for me for all of us Ikamvanites affected by the fire. You helped us a lot. Some of us didn’t know where to start. Even our parents didn’t know how to begin rebuilding our lives. But you helped us. Thank you so much guys, we appreciate everything you have done for us.
Hi. I write this letter to say thank you very much. You have helped us so much. I always say to bless a person that helps others. You have shown care, love in what you have done for Ikamvanites in Masiphumelele. It makes me realise that there are people who care and people who make me feel special. Sihle Nini (Grade 10 Ikamvanite)
I am writing this letter to say thank you for the money that you gave to us. It will help us a lot and also we appreciate the work that you are doing for us because it means a lot and shows me that people care. Avile Mabengu (Grade 11)
Lloyd Lungu