Thanks to the support and assistance from Thabo Bidla, Mxolisi Gontsa, other community leaders, a team of amazing painters; Liesel, Siswe, Busiswa, and Wanda, and the kind donation of 10 tables from Black Sash, the Nyanga Branch has opened its doors at the Zolani Centre.
Tutoring sessions, learning and fun times have begun!
Learners tackling Math during Thursday’s tutoring session
The first couple of weeks of tutoring have been tulmultuous due to strikes at Mandela High School that involved many Ikamvanites who were outraged at the illegal request for learners to pay for their textbooks that are issued at financed by government. The principal was called to task and learners and parents demanded that the textbooks be distributed without the additional payment. Learners felt it was important to stand up for their rights and were successful in getting their voices heard.
The strike over, and with textbooks in hand the learners are now showing diligence and commitment to IkamvaYouth. Saturday morning saw a brilliant turn out of learners and tutors, all fully engaged.
Exciting programmes and activities are planned for the centre. The Kahn Academy together with a grant from the US Embassy are establishing a brand new computer lab at the centre. This will enable the delivery of computer literacy activities as well as offering the Kahn programme itself which is an innovative solution to math education. Learners are able to work through a series of activities at their own pace, and therefore take control of their own learning.
Lovelife have also expressed an interest in collaborating with IkamvaYouth and will provide a Health and Life Skills programme once a month for Ikamvanites. The focus will be on HIV/AIDS but with the added element of life skills and personal development. This initiative will be starting at the beginning of next term.
With a beautiful space, new furniture, eager learners and tutors, and many plans for the year ahead Nyanga Branch is full of excitement!
Some awesome news for February 2012 – we’ve just moved our Nyanga branch from the Nyanga Library to the Zolani Centre. Check the pics below for a taste of our new space… we’ve already been busy decorating and are excited to announce that we’re upping the number of young people we’re working with in Nyanga from 60 to 90.
Tutoring is hopefully kicking off next week, but we need your help! We’re in urgent need of desks or tables to help us seat young people during their classes.
The space is ours to use in the afternoons but is used for other purposes outside of our hours, so we’re looking for some stackable/foldable trestle tables or desks which can be put away outside of class times.
Can you help? If you’ve got any tables/desks you could donate please get in touch with Asanda on asanda@ikamvayouth.org or drop him a line on 07988 54277. Please pass this along to any contacts/networks you think might be relevant – your help is hugely appreciated!
Nyanga branch has kicked off the year on a high note this weekend with an open day held at the library where early on Saturday morning the hall was full with new eager, hopeful learners all looking for a place this year. A few parents also came to show their support, as well as all the tutors and new returning grade 12s.
The morning kicked off with a brief explanation of IkamvaYouth, how it began and last year’s results from the branch, explanations of the importance of attendance and dedication for the last few years of school, tutors also took to the floor to introduce themselves as well as provide words of encouragement. A highlight of the morning was when Benfilda, a Zimbabwean girl and 2011 Grade 12 got up to speak about what IkamvaYouth has done for her, and to say goodbye. She’s been offered a full scholarship to study at St Augustines in Johannesburg this year, she is living proof for the new learners that by working hard and committing yourself to studies and hard work has amazing results and if she can do it so can they. Her lasting words to the new learners, ‘the future is in your hands!’
Another highlight of the morning was the announcement that the branch will be moving, for the past few years the Nyanga library has been home to the branch with the librarians an integral part of the operations, yet one thing that couldn’t be controlled is the crime level in Nyanga, and so with the safety of the learners and tutors at stake we’ve secured space for tutoring, an office and computer lab in the Zolani community centre. This very exciting move will be taking place this week and so by the time tutoring starts this year we’ll be completely settled and ready to get going.
And so when the new learners left on Saturday with application forms it left everyone with a sense of excitement, not only for the New Year, the new learners, the old learners taking control of their future, but of the new space, the new possibilities, the new direction the branch will be taking in 2012. Expect to be seeing only great things from us this year, it’s our time!
For the first time ever the Nyanga Branch has had the opportunity to experience the growth and development of the Grade 11 class of 2010 who were our very first Grade 12 class of 2011. We take joy in sharing our achievement of the 2011 Grade 12 class, who have obtained us a 93% Grade 12 pass.
Today we are proud to say, we too have seen the fruits of hard work and that the Future begins now!
Benfilda Mwindi (on the video clip) is from Zimbabwe and came to South Africa in 2008, because she had no one to look after her back at home, while her mom was very sick and her father had come to South Africa to find employment.
She is really courageous and hardworking and has surprised us time and again. Last year she lost her mother and was not able to attend the funeral in Zimbabwe, after she had been sick for a very long time but this has never been a reason for Benfilda to give up.
Anathi Malindi
At Oscar Mpetha High, Asanda Nanise and Anathi Malindi looking at his results.
Anathi has been the true evidence that hard work pays and today his mom says “I am so relieved and happy that his future is bright”. Ananthi is in the Branch Committee and also has been the Grade Head in Grade 11 at the Nyanga Branch, he is ever eager to work harder and do more for the Branch. He has assured us that this year he will be tutor of the year.
He received great news just before he received his good matric results that he has been accepted at the Cape Town University of Technology for Analytical Chemistry and his classes commence on the 17 January 2012.
Anathi received a Bachelor pass.
Yesterday her expression of joy and disbelief filled our small home with warmth.
“Ow sis’Nombu I just can’t believe this!” these where her very first words as she walked into the Nyanga office hugging her accounting tutor (Asanda Nanise, our Branch Assistant).
Benfilda passed with a Bachelor!
Masande Ndongeni
Masande’s achievement brought tears to his mom’s eyes today. On the 21 October 2011, a day before Masande’s Business Studies exam his home was burnt down to untraceable ashes while he was in the Nyanga Library studying. Everything was burnt and all they were left with is the clothes they were wearing and the books that where in his bag. His Accounting books got burnt and he had not written accounting then. With so much determination Masande never gave up but he worked even harder. His mom today expressed how grateful she is to God saying “even though our year ended so badly but I know there is hope for my family”.
Masande received a Diploma pass.
We as the Nyanga Branch are very eager to work even harder and make it our mandate to deliver the vision of Ikamva Youth to the community of Nyanga East. We have learnt that the struggles of the black child are never an excuse to not achieve his or her dreams.
A BIG thank you to all our tutors who have been the biggest supporters of the Nyanga Branch. The year has been very rocky and with never ending challenges but tutors made it their responsibility to make it to the Nyanga Library and help the Nyanga learners and today the Nyanga office would love to thank all of you and hope that we will continue the good work.
Vuyiseka Melani “it’s not just the tutoring that makes us keep on attending at Ikamva but the support and the love we receive from all tutors”.
2012 WE ARE TAKING OVER!!!!
On the 3rd of December 2011 the Nyanga Branch celebrated Prize Giving and Year End with our learners, tutors, parents, partners and colleagues from KZN, Makhaza and the Gauteng Branch.
Nombuyiselo, Branch Coordinator, openend the event with a speech about her experiences with IkamvaYouth, in particular the Nyanga Branch, and mentioned different people who have assisted the Nyanga Branch to be where it is today, regardless of the challenges it has faced.
After that, our Director Joy spoke about IkamvaYouth, how it was founded and her experience with the Nyanga Branch, where she also motivated the learners of the Nyanga Branch and encouraged the grade 12s to become volunteer tutors next year.
The speeches where followed by giving Awards and Prizes to different kids: Most improved learners, learners with the highest attendance, Learner of the Year and Tutor of the Year. This was accompanied by prizes from Capitec and support from the Nyanga Library.
Yonelisa and Modjadji (from Gauteng-Branch) entertained us with self-written poems and we finished this nice event with some music and refreshments!
Thanks a lot to everyone who helped to make the day a success! And: Learners and Tutors, you guys worked so hard; we are proud of you!!!
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.
Lloyd Lungu