IkamvaYouth celebrates 2013 matric results – 89% pass, 94% eligible for tertiary
Hailed as the class that has achieved the highest pass rate since the birth of the democratic government in 1994, 2012’s matriculants across South Africa achieved a pass rate of 78.2%.
With an 89% matric pass rate – 64% receiving a bachelor pass and a further 30% qualifying for diploma study – and 70 distinctions amongst its 154 matriculants, IkamvaYouth, an organisation that enables learners from poor communities to improve their marks, is proud that their class of 2013 has made a substantial contribution to the record.
The organisation’s director, Joy Olivier, is “simply thrilled” with the learners’ achievements. “IkamvaYouth is continuing to improve on its results while scaling”, she says. “With 60 more matrics than last year, we’ve managed to not only meet last year’s pass result, but more than double the number of bachelor passes achieved. This is very encouraging as we work towards achieving Vision 2030; which has every learner in South Africa reaching and passing matric, and then going on to access the post-school opportunities that set them on the path to earning a dignified living.”In 2013 seven branches had matriculants, with both Ivory Park (in Gauteng) and Umlazi (in KZN) producing their first matric cohort. IkamvaYouth’s Ivory Park branch marked this milestone with a jaw-dropping 100% pass mark, with 83% achieving a bachelors pass. Ivory Park branch ‘s top pupil, Happy Vangile, scored three distinctions in his final year of high school for Maths, Physical Science and Accounting. Vangile said he would not have been able to achieve the high marks he now has, had he not been introduced to the organisation.
“I come from a financially difficult background and there was not much support at home. Before Grade 11 I was not doing very well at school. I joined IkamvaYouth and that is when things started to go well. I received a lot of help from the IkamvaYouth tutors and they kept me motivated till the end.”
Vangile will be studying towards a BCom at the University of Cape Town.
Abongile Jojozi, from Chris Hani Secondary School, a learner at the Makhaza branch, said that aside from improving his results and achieving a whopping four distinctions, in Mathematics, Xhosa, Economics and Life Orientation, and narrowly missing out on distinctions in the rest of his subjects, the organisation taught him leadership and commitment.
“I knew I would get distinctions in Maths and Life Orientation because they are stuff that I practice everyday, I wanted to get good results but I was shocked at some of the results I got and I was even recognised as the top learner at my school.”
He plans to do a BSc at UCT, and is looking forward to volunteering as an IkamvaYouth tutor.
In congratulating the class of 2013, national co-ordinator Zamo Shongwe noted that “Ikamvanites have responded to the challenge to improve the pass rate in townships by showing that with extra work and focus, it can be done. We look forward to learners returning as tutors to give a hand up to other learners going through their paces at branches”
This has all been made possible by corporate, in-kind and individual donors who have invested in township youth and the spirit of IkamvaYouth: ABI, Capitec Bank, the TK Foundation, African Bank, Empower, the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund, DGMT, the Raimondo family trust, the Learning Trust, the Potter foundation, GDF Suez, ABSA; the many in-kind donors that avail space (municipal libraries, schools, community centres and universities) and learning resources (the Answer Series, Fundza) and countless other organisations, companies and individuals. It is thanks to these and many others, and the hundreds of committed volunteers, that IkamvaYouth is able to offer programmes in tutoring, career guidance and mentoring, computer literacy and lifeskills education. IkamvaYouth equips learners (the Ikamvanites) from disadvantaged communities with the knowledge, skills, networks and resources to access tertiary education and/or employment opportunities once they matriculate. IkamvaYouth aims to increase the collective skill level of the population, to grow the national knowledge base, and to replicate success in more communities.
The IkamvaYouth model draws from a large and growing pool of volunteers made up of students (from nearby universities) and local professionals. The organisation’s sustainability is driven by ex-learners who gain entrance to tertiary institutions and return to tutor. More than half of the volunteers at longer-established branches are ex-learners. Ikamvavanites are thus driving change as they develop from beneficiaries into benefactors.
BREAKDOWN OF IKAMVAYOUTH 2013 MATRIC RESULTS:
GAUTENG
Ivory Park (first matric cohort!): 100% pass, 83% bachelor, 17% diploma, 12 distinctions
Ebony Park: 94% pass, 62% bachelor, 34% diploma, 16 distinctions
KWAZULU-NATAL
Chesterville: 82% pass; 44% bachelor, 48% diploma, 23 distinctions
Umlazi (first matric cohort): 83% pass; 40% bachelor, 47% diploma, 3 distinctions
WESTERN CAPE
Makhaza: 83% pass; 64% bachelor, 28% diploma, 12 distinctions
Nyanga: 93% pass; 85% bachelor, 15% diploma, 3 distinctions
Masi: 89% pass; 88% bachelor, 1 distinction
MORE ABOUT IKAMVAYOUTH
IkamvaYouth is a non-profit organisation (established in 2003) that provides a volunteer driven, low cost and highly effective model of after-school tutoring and mentorship in resource-poor communities. It has branches in five provinces in South Africa: in Khayelitsha, Nyanga and Masiphumelele in the Western Cape, Ivory Park and Ebony Park in Gauteng, Chesterville and Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal, Joza in the Eastern Cape, and Ikageng in the North West Province.
IkamvaYouth recently received the highly prestigious international STARS Impact Award for Education in Africa.
IkamvaYouth received this award while mindful of their Vision 2030, which sees all learners who start grade 1 in 2018, attaining a matric pass or the equivalent, and accessing the post school opportunities that set them on the path to earning a dignified living.
Issued by IkamvaYouth
For More Information Contact:
Media & Communication: Lorelle Bell, lorelle@ikamvayouth.org, 082 5201545
Director: Joy Olivier, joy@ikamvayouth.org
National Coordinator: Zamo Shongwe, zamo@ikamvayouth.org, 084 885 0004
During the third term, Nyanga branch got ex-ikamvanite Unathi Basoni to conduct a job-readiness and CV workshop with the Grade 10s and 11s.
In the workshop, Unathi took the group of 45 through a step-by step process of find job advertisements, verifying legitimacy and then applying. The learners learnt how to write a CV and cover letter and how to present themselves in an interview.
‘It is always good to impart the knowledge that you have to young people’, says Unathi, and he has availed himself to the learners, for more workshops in the future. Thank you Unathi. IY Nyanga appreciates you!
After the wonderful first week of Masiphumelele Winter School, both learners and tutors were expecting more from our colorful workshops for the second week. We have had some new workshops this week covering interesting topics as Environmental Protection, Sexual Violence, Academic Writing, Debate, and more. On Thursday, learners wowed the tutors with their ability to craft intelligent arguments in a short amount of time during the Debate workshop. In Academic Writing, we learned about Plagiarism and how to correctly cite sources in our writing.
We were lucky to have Black Sash, an organization works to advance equality, social justice and human rights to give a special workshop on some key social problems. Wire Works with Frederick gave learners an opportunity to use wires and beads to create works of art. Other learners went to Fish Hoek beach to clean and recycle garbage.
Beyond these sessions, learners also participated in some workshops more focused on their own future. CPUT Engineering Department and Stellenbosch University came to our Winter School to introduce their academic programs and encourage some learners to apply. Capitec Bank held a whole-morning session on Tuesday to give career guidance, CV skills and financial knowledge to our young learners. And on Wednesday, Inspired Inc gave a very passionate speech on having a vision and dream for one’s life. Learners tried to project their vision and their plan to reach that vision. We love these sessions, because Winter School is not only about academic progress, but also about equipping our learners for the future and empowering them to reach their dreams.
Learners also concluded the week by taking time to write thank you notes to those who have helped make this week possible, including Pick n Pay (who provided our lunches!) and False Bay College (who provided the venue for our Winter School!). As we look forward to our Talent Show with the other Ikamva Youth branches tomorrow, we are grateful and happy for a great two weeks of learning and growing alongside one another. One of our tutors, Lauren, put it well when she said,
“Winter School is designed not only to inspire the kids but also to inspire tutors to continue our work to put them on a path towards a better life. If one of these students can succeed in that task, I’ll know that I’ve done my job.”
After the wonderful first week of Masiphumelele Winter School, both learners and tutors were expecting more from our colorful workshops for the second week. We have had some new workshops this week covering interesting topics as Environmental Protection, Sexual Violence, Academic Writing, Debate, and more. On Thursday, learners wowed the tutors with their ability to craft intelligent arguments in a short amount of time during the Debate workshop. In Academic Writing, we learned about Plagiarism and how to correctly cite sources in our writing.
We were lucky to have Black Sash, an organization works to advance equality, social justice and human rights to give a special workshop on some key social problems. Wire Works with Frederick gave learners an opportunity to use wires and beads to create works of art. Other learners went to Fish Hoek beach to clean and recycle garbage.
Beyond these sessions, learners also participated in some workshops more focused on their own future. CPUT Engineering Department and Stellenbosch University came to our Winter School to introduce their academic programs and encourage some learners to apply. Capitec Bank held a whole-morning session on Tuesday to give career guidance, CV skills and financial knowledge to our young learners. And on Wednesday, Inspired Inc gave a very passionate speech on having a vision and dream for one’s life. Learners tried to project their vision and their plan to reach that vision. We love these sessions, because Winter School is not only about academic progress, but also about equipping our learners for the future and empowering them to reach their dreams.
Learners also concluded the week by taking time to write thank you notes to those who have helped make this week possible, including Pick n Pay (who provided our lunches!) and False Bay College (who provided the venue for our Winter School!). As we look forward to our Talent Show with the other Ikamva Youth branches tomorrow, we are grateful and happy for a great two weeks of learning and growing alongside one another. One of our tutors, Lauren, put it well when she said,
“Winter School is designed not only to inspire the kids but also to inspire tutors to continue our work to put them on a path towards a better life. If one of these students can succeed in that task, I’ll know that I’ve done my job.”
Week two of Makhaza Winter School has come to an end. What an amazing experience it has been for the learners. Learners and tutors have participated in numerous tutoring sessions, including workshops and excursions.
Tutoring sessions included subjects such as, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Technology, History, Accounting, and Economics etc. Grade 8 learners indicated English and Technology as their most difficult subjects, since last week they have shown improvement with these subjects and were given numerous exercises to put what they have learned into practice. Grade 9 learners were focused on science this week and wrote an assessment test in which they performed very well. Grade 10 has been doing science and commerce subjects since the previous week. They have written Physics and Mathematics tests and have shown great improvement in these topics. Grade 11 learners have been attending Computer Literacy classes and did Chemistry in one of the science laboratories at UCT, which was a great experience for them and made them much more passionate about going to tertiary after school.
Reel Lives
This week touched on various topics that brought in great discussions as the learners could relate to these issues. Topics like HIV, Drugs, Rape, Poverty, Motherhood were discussed with audio and visual presentations. One of the students said, “I feel lucky to be a part of this workshop. I have learnt a lot about the reasons why these issues still exist. Most of us here have been affected by such problems and now we know how to not fall in these traps.”
Trip to the Jewish Museum
Learners were taken to the Jewish Museum this week and it was truly a refreshing experience. It came as a surprise to learn that a lot of learners did not have much knowledge about the Jewish culture and their history. The group learnt about Holocaust, Judaism, formation of Israel and the life of Jewish people in the modern society, as well as how what happened many years ago in far away countries have lessons to teach us about Xenephobia and violence in our own country.
Save our Seas
Cape Town being a coastal city makes it really important for our learners to understand the importance of our marine and world ecosystem. Learners were given information about the life that exists in the water and the importance of plants and animals that it’s a habitat too. There was a long discussion and information on sharks. Points like they are not as dangerous as people think and how they can be saved from extinction were discussed.
HIV Testing
South African’s have been hugely affected by the problem of HIV. The only way to get rid of this problem is making youth aware of this. Learners voluntarily went through the HIV testing. They were given important points on how to avoid getting the infection, the latest discoveries and remedies that have changed the way HIV affects us today and the myths people have about HIV. The learners raised a lot of important points and they seemed satisfied by the information they received and how it will help them in future.
Mandisi Gladile, a ex learner and long term committed tutor had to say this about the winter school. “The winter school for this year I feel was uniquely incredible. It was a positive and a productive two week-program packaged for both learners and tutors to take home. I am pretty much convinced that all our ikamvanites are a step ahead than they were before in terms of understanding their school work better and also the exposure to various interesting activities that this program presented to them, and for me personally as a tutor it was once again a great honor being part of all of this.”
And finally it was disappointing to realize that the winter school has come to an end. The learner-mentor relationship that the tutors built with the learners was heart warming. At the end, we all wish that the learners benefitted from the winter school that will help them to excel in the exams.
Nyanga Winter School 2013 came to an end on a high note as learners took time to give votes of thanks to the tutors and the workshop facilitators who provided 25 different workshops over the past 10 days.
Week 2 has been abuzz with activity as learners participated in more tutoring in the various school subjects and in more workshops, in Physics and Chemistry, Technology & Engineering, Business & Entrepreneurship, leadership, health and life skills, creative expression, the environment and media & journalism.
Live Magazine spoke to the learners about youth involvement at the magazine. Learners accessed useful career guidance information, namely that they can intern with Live Magazine for a period of 6 months post-Matric, before moving on to either tertiary education or employment. The group also made videos of themselves interviewing one another, which was both a fun and educational activity.
The Physical Sciences learners participated in what has become IYWC’s annual Chemistry experiments workshop at UCT, organised and run by board member, Thobela Bixa. The young chemists did a workshop on temperature and the rate of reaction, with the assistance of their tutors, who helped them throughout the process.
ERM also came and did a stimulating workshop on how to conserve the environment. Learners made colourful green-charts where they outlined their unique understanding on conserving the natural environment.
Werner Myburgh of Sunstep Technologies conducted Technology experiments and the learners made sonic alarms and amplifiers. This was a fascinating workshop for learners; one of whom said that it was exciting for her to see a real functioning alarm emerge from the work of her hands.
Nyanganites also got to benefit from IY’s value of paying-it-forward, as former Nyanganite, Unathi Basoni came to conduct a Business and Entrepreneurship workshop, where he spoke about finances in the home environment. He spoke to the learners about the different social grants available to citizens and the different ways of accessing grant payouts. This workshop was really useful and relevant to the learners as social grants are a source of income in many of their households.
SACTWU conducted a very informative workshop on HIV and AIDS, with free HIV counseling and testing afterwards. More than 50 learners got tested and one of the learners said the following to Tamara, who conducted the tests:
‘’I am very grateful that you came to teach us about HIV and to give us tests because people don’t talk to us about getting tested and how to keep ourselves from getting HIV. ‘’
The Safety Lab came to conduct Safety Awareness workshops in light of the high crime rates in Nyanga and surrounding areas, where our learners are predominantly from. This opened the platform up for learners to speak about their experiences with crime and violence in the community, and engage collectively, with the assistance of other youth who are working towards making the communities a safer place.
All in all, it has been a great Winter School and our Nyanga thanks all its partners and collaborators who have made this year’s Winter School a success.
We greatly value all the workshops you provided for the learners during this time and look forward to collaborating again in the near and distant future.
Lloyd Lungu