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.
Right now, learners all across the country are either celebrating or commiserating after receiving their matric results. And the national numbers seem to suggest that whether matriculants are partying or weeping has a lot to do with their level of economic privilege and the resources of their schools.
But in townships around South Africa, a very special group of matriculants with a whole lot of reasons to celebrate are bucking that trend, and proving that the seemingly impossible is possible with hard work and a little help from one’s friends.
These young people are the ikamvanites, and this week they overcame all the challenges of their circumstances to achieve a national pass rate of 89% and an incredible 100% pass rate in both Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal – results far more privileged learners would be proud of!
Those aren’t just 30% passes either: 87% of ikamvanites achieved the Bachelor or Diploma passes they need to take their education to the next level and access the kinds of opportunities they need to fulfil their dreams of supporting and uplifting their families. Most remarkable of all, these learners aren’t waiting to uplift their communities, and 72% have already become volunteer tutors for the next cohorts of learners; ensuring the exponential replication of the IkamvaYouth model and reach.
Mamphela Ramphele reports that she’s thrilled to witness IkamvaYouth’s incredible growth and enormous impact. “IkamvaYouth saves learners from despair and grinding poverty and most importantly gives them hope… the organisaton’s sustainable model, extra-ordinary commitment and exceptional results inspire our nation.”
Talent Chinogureyi, an ikamvanite in Chesterville, KZN, enthused, “I want to go to university and study further so that when I graduate I can be the one to eradicate poverty at home.” She achieved a Bachelor pass and a distinction for Accounting and has been accepted to study a B Com at prestigious private Johannesburg institution St Augustine College.
At the Masiphumelele branch of IkamvaYouth in the Western Cape, one learner overcame even more hardship than most. “The majority of people tend to think that once you have fallen pregnant, it is the end of the world. I have proved to them that there is still hope. Through all the hardships, I made it. I got a Bachelor pass… I say B for my Baby,” said Neliswa Mnaheni, who hopes to study Marketing next year.
While this has been a time of celebration for most ikamvanites, it has been very challenging for some. Thankfully, everyone that did not pass is eligible for supplementary exams, and IkamvaYouth will be supporting these learners to ensure that they are well-prepared to excel. Others were traumatised by the ongoing illegal practice of withholding results due to unpaid school fees or outstanding textbooks. While IkamvaYouth was able to step in and support families with school fee contributions thanks to its donors, there are thousands of learners across the country who do not have access to this kind of support. “The no-fees-no-report practice is unjust, humiliating and illegal and needs to end”, says Joy Olivier, director of IkamvaYouth. “Our learners need these results in order to realise their dreams and schools need alternative avenues to access much-needed funds”.
IkamvaYouth’s work with the class of 2012 is also far from over. While many of those who passed have already been accepted by the country’s top universities, there is still work to be done to ensure that none of the class of 2012 become unemployed. The next step is ensuring that all these learners access tertiary education, training, internships, learnerships or employment. “IkamvaYouth will continue to support all our 2012 matrics as they access quality post-school opportunities and become tutors; enabling the following years’ learners to do the same,” says Zamo Shongwe, IkamvaYouth’s national coordinator.
IkamvaYouth invites everyone to get involved. There are branches in the Western Cape (Khayelitsha, Nyanga and Masiphumelele); KZN (Chesterville and Umlazi) and Gauteng (Ivory Park, and Ebony Park), North West (a new branch opening in Potchefstroom) and the Eastern Cape (a new branch opening in Grahamstown). IkamvaYouth has maintained a matric pass rate of between 85 and 100% each year since 2005, and true credit for these results must go to the learners, volunteers, the branch teams, partner organisations and donors.
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
Building a solid foundation in mathematics in learners at an early stage of their mathematics schooling careers is one of the major problems facing our education system. The Education Without Borders program (EwB) was piloted in Nyanga this year helps tackle this problem in a well-structured series of basic mathematics books, written by Dr. Rahael Jalan, to a class of 14 learners.
Impact
The program was implimented during winter school and for the final two terms of the year. In this short time, as per the comparison below, the results in March (indicated in blue) show a poor level of understanding, the majority of learners scoring 40% and below for grade level mathematics. June results after tutoring three days a week shows a slight increase, but after implimenting the program in the final two terms the results have increased dramatically.
Whie the increase in results is a significant improvement and achievement, it is evident from the results at Makhaza that for the program to have results above 50-60% the program needs to run for the full duration of the year.
Each set of three lines (blue, red, green) represents one learner:
The most notable achivement was an increase in results by 43% from term 2 to term 4.
*Note – these results were from independant tests administed at the branch, the schools we work with had administative difficulties in releasing quartely reports and as such the results are independant tests.
Tutor’s Experience
It has been a wonderful experience of teaching and learning. Some of our learners have shown great interest and a major boost in confidence after they had easily grasped the topics with proper guidance from a tutor. I have had a few minor problems with some of the leaners, which we managed to resolve and carry on with the program. Overall I have enjoyed working with the learners and seeing them develop in their learning abilities.
IkamvaYouth is very thankful to Education Without Borders for enabling us to implement the Math Yes We Can books for our Grade 8’s. Special thanks to: Cecil and Ruth Hershler-funding provided through Education Without Borders, ‘Yes We Can’ mathematics books writen by Dr Rahael Jalan.
Volunteers from Nyanga and Makhaza were treated to a fun day at Ratanga Junction on Saturday 8 December 2012. The occasion was the tutor appreciation, held twice each year to acknowledge our biggest donors, the tutors, who give so much of their valuable time to IY, and are the cornerstone of the work we do.
The tutors were joined by staff members, Shuvai, Asanda, Zukile, Brandon and Marion and everyone had a great time, getting onto dizzying and sometimes scary rides; all the while having a good time. Although tastes and preferences differed, there was general consensus that the Cobra, Ratanga’s popular roller coaster was a good ride, together with the water rides which got everyone soaking wet. The tutors spoke about their plans for the holiday and gave assurances that they will be around to celebrate the Grade 12 results on the 3rd of January 2013. The day was one of great fun, much laughter, bonding and served as a great team-building exercise, as the volunteers and staff played and ate together.
A huge thank you to all our tutors and to Ratanga Junction for your support.
IkamvaYouth has always recognised the importance of creative expression through media; the Media, Image & Expression (MIE) programme was first established at the Makhaza branch in 2006. Over the years, we’ve seen our learners build their identities and self-confidence through various projects and forms of media; from photography and poetry to developing documentaries with mobile phones.
This year, through a partnership with Reel Lives, MIE was taken to a whole new level at Makhaza and Nyanga. Lyle and Leah came all the way from New York City only three months ago, and during this time have worked intensively with six learners to produce amazing films.
It was at the pitch event that we first really realised what they’ve been up to. We weren’t quite expecting such deeply personal stories, and we were concerned for our learners and their families about the levels of disclosure. The small audience of IY staff, partners and filmmakers had the opportunity to engage with the learners. It was remarkable to hear about the positive shifts this process has enabled, and it was humbling to witness the learners’ confident resolve and willingness to share their stories with the world. Kuhle explained that having the opportunity to interview family members and film them with this expensive equipment in his house, gave him the opportunity to be taken seriously and to have conversations he’d been waiting for. The camera was described as both a weapon and a shield.
Through their films, our learners faced their greatest fears and tackled their most difficult issues. Nkosazana shares the story of her family, affected by school drop-outs, teenage pregnancy, alcoholism and financial challenges. Ambesa works through issues of abandonment, family secrets and disappointments in her transformational film entitled Ndikuxolele (Forgiveness). In Xola (Peace), Mpumi re-connects with her absent father and rebuilds their relationship and Zintle shares her deepest fears for her safety in There Is No Safe Place. Sinobom confronts her mother when she discovers that she and her sister have different fathers in Mntasekhaya (My Mother’s Child), and in A Closet in Makhaza, Kuhle tells his family that he is gay. Click on the filmmakers’ names and watch their films!
Reel Lives engaged extensively with the learners and their families about which issues to include in the final films and the implications and potential consequences of screening them and uploading them online.
Nevertheless, in the leadup to the premiere we were anxious. On the 24th November, ikamvanites, family members and friends filled the generously availed Labia theatre to watch the films. For many, it was the first visit to the cinema and there was a lot of excitement. The start was a little rocky, with chattering, giggles and popcorn, but as we moved through the films, one could feel the audience shifting and becoming increasingly captivated. Kuhle’s film was the last screened, and the tension from those of us who knew what was coming was palpable. What a way to come out when one comes from a community where homophobia is the norm, and being openly gay puts your safety at risk!
And yet we needn’t have worried. The ikamvanites in the audience went wild with applause, and were then offered an opportunity to speak to the filmmakers who were standing up front. The feedback was powerfully affirming:
“You are our heroes. You guys have such guts. Thank you for being our leaders and our role-models; we are so proud of you. We love you.” IY tutor
Every person in the cinema that day was touched and impressed.
“The day was totally inspirational, a little heartbreaking, and totally amazing. It was one of the most moving I have ever experienced” IY WC district coordinator
“The films were mind blowing, all very touching and so important for healing in our country” Richard Mills, director of Street Talk
Reel Lives’ work is transformational on multiple levels. Our learners have developed impressive skills and experience, by carrying out every phase of the filmmaking process themselves; from story development and filming to editing and subtitling. The high-end professional equipment and software they’ve learned to use not only ensures that the films are gorgeous (what a treat to see them on the big screen!), but that our learners are well-positioned to access scholarships for film school or internships in the film industry.
Our learners’ lives have changed through the process of asking big questions, engaging with their families and tackling their greatest fears and difficulties. The positive shifts in learners’ self-confidence, self-expression and relationships that have taken place over the past months are phenomenal. They’ve re-connected with estranged family members, moved from anger to forgiveness and peace, and bodly declared who they are.
Most transformational of all, however, is the impact these films have on the people who see them. For young people to see films made by their peers, about their communities and the issues that affect their lives is a great opportunity. These brave, open-hearted films will challenge and inspire everyone who sees them. Already, Kuhle has been approached by young gay men who’ve now seen that coming out can lead to community acceptance, support, admiration and celebration.
The transformational impact of these films extends from the filmmakers’ individual experiences to those of their audiences. We’re looking forward to Reel Lives making more films with more ikamvanites at more branches, and to screening these films for massive audiences across the country and the world.
IkamvaYouth sends out a big shout out of thanks and love to the filmmakers and Reel Lives for doing such beautiful work.
Lloyd Lungu