Nyanga Winter School 2014 kicked off on a high note as 107 learners and 32 tutors congregated at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) for an unforgettable 2 weeks of intensive learning, revision and workshops.
Our Winter School opening ceremony was colourful, with learners, tutors and staff talking, singing and laying out the ground rules to govern our behaviour and engagement for the two weeks. Our host, Wandisile Mdepa, representing UWC welcomed the learners and encouraged them to work hard, pursue excellence and make the most of the opportunity afforded them by IkamvaYouth while they are still in school.
Workshops
During the two weeks, Nyanganites participated in 16 different workshops in a variety of interest streams, namely film, media, journalism, drama, business, finance, history, technology, engineering, the environment, life skills, and career guidance. All Nyanganites participated in compulsory workshops on social media, hosted by Mxit Reach, and an HIV/AIDS and TB session hosted by the SACTWU worker health program, after which there was voluntary HIV testing. The Jewish museum generously sponsored an afternoon educational tour of the museum, and the outing was one of the highlights of Winter School for many of the learners.
Tutoring
Nyanga tutors showed remarkable dedication to the learners as they tutored tirelessly for the 9 days, making recommendations for how best to help individual learners in the different areas covered. A record 16 ex-learners tutored at this Winter School, and their presence and stories inspired many Nyanganites and encouraged them in their aspirations to pass Matric and access tertiary education, in pursuit of a dignified living.
Here is what some Nyanganites had to say about this year’s Winter School:
‘I want to thank all the tutors for sacrificing their time to come and teach us what they know. It’s not easy to wake up so early everyday but you tutors have shown that you care about us and our education and we will work hard to make sure that we make you proud.’ Grade 11 learner.
‘I have learnt many things at Winter School, especially in the workshops. I learnt that it is not safe to put all my information on Facebook because there are dangerous people out there, and I must always be careful.’ Grade 10 learner.
Nyanga Winter School 2014 was definitely a success and this was possible because of the combined effort of everyone who planned it and our different partners who conducted workshops. Thank you to UWC for hosting us and to all our workshop facilitators. The full list of organisations, companies and individuals who conducted workshops is as follows:Cape Town Science Centre, Capitec Bank, Environmental Resource Management, Mxit Reach, IkamvaYouth Nyanga tutors, South African Astronomical Observatory, SACTWU Workers’ Health program, Safety Lab, SA Jewish museum, Save Our Seas, SunStep, Lufefekazi Jojo, Raldo Kruger, Sonwabile Dwangu, Tendekai Finos and Ziyanda Tshoki.
Thank you all for your contribution. IkamvaYouth Nyanga appreciates you very much and looks forward to a continued partnership with you.
On the 17th May 2014 UKZN had its Open Day at the Westville campus. IkamvaYouth KZN was a part of this very informative occasion with the full assistance and support of ABI. Grade 11 and 12 learners from Umlazi as well as grade 12 learners from Chesterville were bused to the event from their respective branches.
As early as 7:30 the learners were at the branches reciting the IkamvaYouth war-cry and getting themselves energised for the day ahead. Learners were there in their full school uniforms and they as well as the buses were on time. There were a number of ABI volunteers and staff including Samukelo Nkosi and Nosihle Mthethwa as well as IkamvaYouth volunteers to assist with the managing of learners throughout the day. After the energisers, the learners were then handed their gift bags containing a fruit, a sandwich, an energy bar, water and a cooldrink all sponsored by ABI to give them energy for the day. The learners, volunteers and some staff then got into the buses and we all left to UKZN Westville campus.
Ahead of the event the learners had been asked to choose the field of study which they were interested in and thus a college they would prefer to visit at the Open Day so as to ensure that they get the full benefit of their chosen field. The learners were then given colour-coded identification cards for the respective college that they were visiting and were escourted by volunteers to the venue where the presentations for that college would be held. The presentations and demonstrations varied according to the college of study and the learners even got to visit stalls within those departments to collect information brochures. Those learners whose departments finished early also got an opportunity to visit other colleges and hear more. Learners were very excited and learnt more about their chosen fields in terms of what the requirements are and where they need to improve in order to get into those fields.
The occassion was a very informative one and benefitted those who grabbed the opportunity and asked as many questions as they could think of. The presenters also made mention of the different ways one can access financial aid and also how the application process through CAO works. Learners left the event with more knowledge about UKZN and its courses but also knowing whether they qualify for course at UKZN or not and if not how to make sure that they do.
To end off the day, learners were then brought back to one meeting spot where further energizers were done. A motivational talk by ABI’s Samukelo Nkosi, as well as “thank you’s” by IkamvaYouth staff and learners were done. Lunch was served on the buses on the way back to the branches. It was a day well spent.
Well done Ikamvanites for your good behaviour and once again a very big “THANK YOU” to ABI for making sure that our learners experienced the Open Day in the way that they did, you certainly came through like you always do.
The Community Collaboration Project (CCP) was launched at a 2 day training weekend at the end of January 2014. 25 representatives from 11 organisations came together for a weekend of instruction in theory and methodology, practical advice and guidance, and discussion about how we can face our shared challenges together. Please read the manual for information about the training session.
Participating organisations; Ikamva Labantwana Bethu, SALT, Amandla Edufootball, EWB, Fundisa Primary Fund, Grasroots Boxing, Nebula Skateboarding, Masakhaneni Community Development, Sozo Foundation, UPDP, Institute for Change, Axium, Communiversity, and Etafeni.
Collaboration doesn’t come easily to most of us. We have too long a history of perceiving the world and organising ourselves within it, ‘hierarchically rather than democratically, to compete rather than collaborate, to listen to authority over intuition, and to be subjects rather than active citizens’ Tana Paddock (Organisation Unbound).
We were all there to collaborate and make Vision 2030 a reality. The term ‘collaboration’ is spoken of more and more in the profit and non-profit sectors, but the actual process of how we can collaborate while pursuing our own agendas is much harder to actually implement and achieve. The aim is to reach a mutually beneficial compromise, which is by definition, extremely difficult.
Yet there is hope! People are recognising the need to collaborate in order to succeed and sustain. The boundaries that we have built to protect ourselves are being dismantled slowly but surely. The realisation that together we are stronger, better, and will inevitably last longer has led to a growing number of trusting relationships developing between organisations. Collaboration requires a huge amount of trust as you have to let other organisations into your world and you are required to enter theirs. It is all very uncomfortable at first, but as wise people have told me ‘you have to lean into the discomfort’. So we are.
It is exciting to see so many people from different communities all trying to do the same thing, which is ultimately to build a better future for South Africa’s young population. By connecting these organisations and providing a space for conversation a number of challenges have already been addressed. One inspiring example was the donation of 60 Answer Series books from an organisation with surplus to one with a shortage. This is exactly what the collaborative community is designed to be; a community of people working together and sharing their resources and expertise to reach a collective goal.
We can only do this if we work together with other like-minded organisations and individuals who are also committed to the ambitious aims of Vision2030. Through collaboration we can make better informed decisions, leverage (not exploit) the fruits of others labours, vocalise and publicise solutions, share best practice, reduce the number of ‘failed’ projects, and replicate positive change.
Collaboration makes sense, but what does it look like? Well, the collaborative community are going to work it out.
If you are interested in running tutoring programmes in your community, can identify an area for intervention, would like some advice and guidance on your project, want to invest in a project, or have a collaboration idea that will contribute to the attainment of Vision2030 we NEED to hear from you.
On the 22nd of February 2014, the Nyanga branch held an Induction Day for new parents and learners, which doubled up as the first parents’ meeting of the year. The event, held at Zolani Centre was attended by more than 100 parents and learners.
The purpose of our Induction Day was to formally introduce IY to new Nyanganites and their parents, and to facilitate the meeting and exchanging of knowledge between old and new parents, learners and volunteers.
There were two components to the Induction day, namely the parents’ meeting and the learner session, which ran concurrently, after the initial welcome and introductions. Siphelele, the Branch Assistant, and our volunteers facilitated the parents’ meeting. This session covered a range of topics, including 2013 results, the IY model, what parents can expect from the branch, and what the branch expects from parents and learners.
Shuvai, the Branch Coordinator, facilitated the learner induction, in partnership with the Branch Committee and volunteers. This session covered topics such as learner conduct, attendance, expectations and the IY values. The branch committee spoke to their peers about their function and answered the different questions fellow learners had about being an ikamvanite. The learners later got into groups to investigate, discuss and debate the meaning of each IY value and present their findings to the larger group.
The day was a huge success, garnering positive feedback, from parents especially. Two parents indicated their interest in representing other parents on the branch committee, and both are looking forward to being actively involved at the branch.
Thank you to all the parents who attended, and to all our volunteers who showed up as true superheroes on the day. 2014 will be our best year yet!
On The 8th of February 2014, IYWC learners went on a scenic hike up Table Mountain, through Kirstenbosch Gardens. The outing was organised by the Pride of Table Mountain and 41 learners from Makhaza, Masi and Nyanga participated. The outing provided a good opportunity for the WC learners from the different branches to meet, mingle and get to know each other in a relaxing atmosphere.
The Pride Projects help to fulfil the need for an environmental education outreach among disadvantaged youth from urban and rural areas. The experience received on the hike helps to instil a sense of pride and responsibility in their natural heritage.
‘If more of us love nature, the environment will take care of itself’
The learners who participated enjoyed themselves immensely, and Mzukisi Gwegwe said the following. ‘I love nature so I enjoyed learning about the different trees; specifically that our indigenous trees are best for our land. I learnt that some exotic trees suck too much water from the ground and this causes our trees to suffer.’ Another participant highlighted that the outing gave her clear insight on the importance of nature, and she also learnt fun facts, such as the fact the protea, South Africa’s national plant can make ink.
A huge thank you to Andrea Sanke, Sharon McCullum and the Pride of Table Mountain team, for making this outing a reality.
In November 2013 IkamvaYouth was fortunate to be invited to present on the theme of collaboration at the first Botswana Library Innovation Summit. It gathered a wonderful group of innovators from libraries all across Botswana.
Each library presented their innovative project, which ranged from the preservation of history and culture, to mobile buses equipped with internet, to providing services for the visually impaired. The projects are inspiring and the people that are dreaming them up and making them happen are even more impressive. Like many grassroots organisations and projects, they are driven by unbelievable individuals and their passion alone.
Muan and Kasane Public Libraries showcasing their projects
What the Botswana Department of Library Services are doing exceptionally well is recognising and supporting these passionate individuals that know best what is needed in their communities. This model of support produces highly relevant and workable projects. The question of “What is needed here?” is asked by the stakeholders, rather than outsiders making assumptions as to what is best.
This speaks to IkamvaYouth’s own vision for collaboration, which is to form mutually beneficial partnerships with passionate organisations and individuals who want to work towards a collective impact. To truly support this vision the relationships between the partners need be honest and open and above all must be supportive.
Sesigo is one such partnership, formed between the government of Botswana National Library Service, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to provide free internet services to all 78 public libraries across the country. So far they have extended services to 24 libraries and the impact has been incredible; reflected by the broad range of internet aided projects. The key to its success is that the Botswana government is hugely supportive of the initiative and is open to sharing local knowledge and facilitating conversations. In turn the Gates Foundation is providing training and mentorship to strengthen the local technological capacity and increase the sustainability of the project.
An internet facility enabled by Sesigo in northern Botswana
This idea of mentorship came out time and time again over the 3 days. In the inaugural speech Stella Monageng, former Head of Libraries at the Institute of Development Management, spoke about the importance of mentorship for innovation. That there are two roles needed for innovation to flourish; the learner and the teacher. What was emphasised is that for real innovation to occur we must all be comfortable to play each of these roles and to move between them. We all need to teach and provide information to assist others, but we also need to makes sure that we listen and learn from others, regardless of where we lie in the hierarchical structures of societies and organisations.
I really respect these comments and it set the tone for the week. Ms Monageng encouraged extremely shy presenters to get up on the podium and know they were being listened to by their peers, by representatives from other countries, and by governmental officials. It also opened eyes and ears to new opportunities. The idea of libraries running tutoring programmes was very much seeded. IkamvaYouth Botswana….maybe one day!?
I came away from the week feeling rejuvenated and excited to start IkamvaYouth’s collaboration project with similarly amazing organisations and individuals, while holding the idea of mentorship as central to the process. The rollercoaster ride on the final day of the summit may have also contributed to this excitement!
Lloyd Lungu