IkamvaYouth is deeply concerned about the negative impact that the teachers’ strike will have on the education of our country’s learners. Many classes were already significantly behind in covering the curriculum, and the negative impact of this protest action is tragic.
As the public servants’ strike intensifies, small groups of township school learners across the country are meeting in local libraries and community centres and working together to ensure they don’t fall behind while out of the classroom. We call on all South African citizens to step up and help mitigate this sabotage of our nation’s learners and our future. Please contact your nearest IkamvaYouth branch, and volunteer to support our learners through this challenging time. If you cannot afford to volunteer your time, we urge you to instead contribute the financial equivalent of a few hours of your time, to assist us with covering unanticipated extra transport, photocopying and coordination costs.
While the unions and the state use learners’ education as bargaining chips, ikamvanites are refusing to let their futures be gambled away. Showing wisdom and maturity beyond their years, our learners are supporting, encouraging and educating one another. They are instead helping each other get to grips with their school work by working through Answer Series workbooks, teaching one another as yet uncovered or particularly tricky sections of the curriculum, and working through past exam papers. Our learners are a real inspiration, as are the volunteers who’re stepping up and getting involved; encouraging and supporting all the way.
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According to Joe Manciya, coordinator the IkamvaYouth branch in Ivory Park (Midrand, Johannesburg), “Many of our learners start the day by going to their schools to see if they are open, when they find that the gates are locked and there are no teachers they make their way to our centre. Here they find a table and chair and they start working together on their school work. This is particularly admirable given that it would be far easier for these learners to simply go home watch TV, listen to music or play video games. These learners are a real example to all of us.”
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IkamvaYouth acknowledges that teaching is one of the most important and difficult jobs in the world, and that South Africa’s schooling environment is highly contested, with multiple (and often competing) agendas at play. We fully support the irrevocable rights of educators and public servants to raise grievances about their salaries and working conditions through legitimate protest action, and believe that with these rights come responsibilities. We acknowledge that many teachers would far rather be in class teaching than on the streets demonstrating, and hope that they are able to return to their learners soon. Many educators are making plans to ensure that their learners are not prejudiced during this time and we want to commend them for their efforts.
The learners of our country do not deserve the current treatment and lessons they are receiving. It is our responsibility to play our part and invest in our future. Come join us!
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IkamvaYouth Nyanga has ben fortunate enough to receive, from a very generous donation, the Answer Series. These books have already made a big impact on our learners. The books ranging from all subjects, English, Mathematics, Physical Science and Life Science will expand our learners knowledge. We are grateful for this donations that will help our present and future learners.
From IkamvaYouth Nyanga Thank You Answer Series!!!!
IkamvaYouth Makhaza has been fortunate to receive the Answer Series books. These workbooks from the Answer Series will provide our learners and future learners with an additional resource to achieve educational success. Makhaza is overjoyed to give its learners the Answer Series books to its learners between grades 10 to 12. Depending on the learner, he or she received workbooks ranging from Maths, English, Accounting, Physical Science, to Life Science.
From all of us at IkamvaYouth Makhaza, THANK YOU ANSWER SERIES!!
IkamvaYouth high school students received a massive donation of 125 study books from the Answer Series. Those excellent workbooks will be used by students to develop their knowledge, and stretch themselves. They really appreciate that these books will eable them to work on their own. What a positive educational development, whereby personal independence can be developed by each and every learner.
Many thanks to The Answer Series Team for their faith in our programme.
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Here at IkamvaYouth, we are all family. So, when one of our family members has made the decision to go forward with his or her life and start something new, we at IkamvaYouth know no better way to send him or her off than with a party! Our beloved comrade Luyanda Kota, previously the director of IkamvaYouth Makhaza, has taken a new path in his life and found employment with another organisation, and we all wish him the very best. Instead of saying goodbye, crying, and having feelings of loss, we at IkamvaYouth surprised Luyanda with a party at Mzoli’s!
Together, we celebrated the times we had with Luyanda as a volunteer, a tutor, a mentor, a role model, a director, and most importantly a dear friend. Tutors, fellow staff members, and interns all took part in the Mzoli’s party with Luyanda.
We are very proud of Luyanda and wish him the very best in all the paths he takes in the future. ONCE AN IKAMVANITE, ALWAYS AN IKAMVANITE!
11th Grade Learners at IkamvaYouth Makhaza are now speaking about hate crimes. So what is a hate crime? A hate crime is when a person or group of persons targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, etc. Our students at Makhaza are using Siyayinqoba’s workshops on addressing this issue and hopefully… beating it out of their lives!
Part I of our lesson on Hate Crime focused on defining a hate crime and to understand that it does not happen only in South Africa. Using a poem from the US, learners were able to hear tutors Christopher Fan and Ginia O’Neil speak about the history of United States after slavery and the hate crimes committed on blacks in their country in the 1930s. Students then were asked to speak about groups they feel are victims of hate crimes. Examples they provided were Somalians, immigrants, gays, lesbians, Indians, Asians, and many more. Moving beyond this, the learners agreed that hate crimes come about negative stereotyping. To make this idea clear, the tutors made the learners draw their depiction of a Somalian, a Politician, a gay person, an Indian, and an artist. The pictures drawn were of stereotypes (i.e. Somalians in grass skirts, a man wearing makeup, a woman wearing a sari). We finished Part I by having the students talk about what groups in their neighborhood could be targeted and what they can do about it.
to be continued.
Lloyd Lungu