The beginning of each year at IkamvaYouth is always an exciting time for IkamvaYouth branches across the country as we usher the previous year’s Matrics into post-school opportunities, welcome new learners and tutors and together decide on the goals and outcomes of the New Year. On the 14th of March 2015, Gauteng branches namely Ebony Park and Ivory Park held its annual Strategic Planning Weekend (SPW). Staff members, learners and volunteers came together to spend the entire day discussing how Ebonites and Ivonites can make 2015 a good year for Gauteng branches.
The day started with introductions and a fun ice breaker from a wonderful tutor, Mr Welsh Dube, to energize attendees for the day. A total number of 52 excluding staff members attended 2015 Strategic Planning Workshop. Both branches outlined the rules and expectation for day and agreed that everyone should follow them. Mrs Zvomuya, Branch Coordinator for Ebony Park, gave a brief presentation on why should you volunteer and also introduced IkamvaYouth to the new volunteers and learners who were present. She emphasizes the need to volunteer as many employers would only consider someone who had volunteered before.
Both branches decided to have a motivation and testimonial from one of IkamvaYouth’s longest serving tutor, Mr. Percyval Mabizela, on his stay and experience hear at IY. He mentioned that he doesn’t regret waking up early in the morning on a Saturday to come and share his experience with learners from different communities and also mention that education is an important tool that a person can treasure. Speaking on behalf of the tutors, he mentioned that tutors/volunteers should be proud with their involvement with IkamvaYouth and the learners themselves.
On looking back to 2014, branch com members gave a brief feedback about their portfolios on challenges and successes they had the previous year. IkamvaYouth Ebony and Ivory Park has seven Branch Com portfolios namely, Volunteer Coordinator, Tutoring Coordinator, Mentoring, Media, Image and Expression, Career Guidance, Computer Literacy, and Discipline (Branches decided to add this to list as a portfolio). During the feedback sessions learners, tutors and staff members grouped themselves to discuss the Branch Com portfolios and how can they make them better for 2015. The focus was now shifted to the year ahead and branches set targets to achieve within a specific time frame.
The last item on the agenda was tutor training and staff members had to facilitate this session. Staff members were each given a group to facilitate tutor training. Roles plays and general discussions were implemented during tutor training sessions, whereby tutors and learners were put to the test to see if they understand how Ikamvayouth model works. Volunteers went through what is expected of them and how to conduct themselves when they interact with learners. Learners also went through their expectations.
The day ended with some encouraging words from Mrs Zvomuya by saying “it was a great event, thanks to everyone who participated it was a very productive meeting.”
Miss Mosiane had this to say “it was a well-planned event, the turnout was great and I was pleased with the way learners behaved throughout the event.”
IkamvaYouth rocking 2015!!!!
The 2013 IkamvaYouth Annual Report highlights the remarkable achievements that we have made in 2013 by enabling disadvantaged youth to pull themselves and each other out of poverty with education.You can view the full annual report here but here are some of the highlights from 2013:
- 92% of our learners passed their matric (including supplementary exams); 62% achieved a bachelor pass (compared to 30.6% nationally) and 90% of our learners accessed a post school opportunity (tertiary, learnership or employment);
- The first survey of IkamvaYouth’s alumni was conducted. The findings were more encouraging than we could have hoped: IkamvaYouth learners are almost half as likely to drop out of tertiary studies, four times more likely to graduate and are three times less likely to not be in education or employment than the average South African young person.
- IkamvaYouth WON the Stars Award which exists to reward outstanding local organisations improving the lives of children in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. IkamvaYouth WON in the category of Education in Africa and the Middle East.
Thank you for taking the future into your hands, and to holding ours. Let’s keep reaching for the stars together.
©Neo Ntsoma/Majority World
If you are having trouble with the link please click on the below link:
ikamvayouth_annual_report_2013.pdf
The Ikageng branch held its first ever Strategic Planning Workshop (SPW) on the 26th April 2014. The SPW was hosted at Lemon Blossom Guest House’s conference center in Potchefstroom. In attendance were tutors, learner representatives, the district coordinator- Mr Patrick Mashanda, a visiting tutor from Ebony Park branch- Mr Shelton Chadya and Mr Sello Seitlholo- the Ikageng branch ambassador to North-West University participated with the branch staff in this event.
The day started with a testimonial speech by Mr Chadya followed by a motivational speech from Mr Seitlholo. The branch coordinator, Ms Tshadinyana Phetoe, gave an orientation to the volunteers about IkamvaYouth, its establishment, and the different programmes implemented at IY. The branch’s highlights were presented by the branch assistant- Mr Clemence Msindo. Mr Mashanda addressed the volunteers on the importance of volunteering and emphasized on the value of volunteers at IkamvaYouth. Ms Mary Mothae, a former tutor at Ivory Park, presented the tutor training, and Ms Noposi Majavu, the branch’s intern addressed on learner behavior and expectations. More pressing issues including discipline and dress code as well as commitment were discussed and action points to aliviate these issues were agreed upon. The team was divided into small groups in order to discuss the branch challenges, which were later presented to the whole team. The team brainstormed possible and potential solutions to branch challenges collectively with tutors and learners effectively and efficiently participating in all brainstorming activities.
After a long day of hard work and fun, elections were run for the branch committee. The portfolios which were filled were for head of tutoring; media image and expression; life skills and extramural activities; computer skills; mentoring and career guidance; discipline and library facilities. The election of the BranchCom marked yet another milestone opportunity for tutors to engage more in branch activities and have a voice on critical decisions of the branch. The branch staff is very excited of the newly elected branch com and hope to have a more functional branch going forward.
On the 22nd of March, both Ebony Park and Ivory Park branches came together to plan for 2014. This years’ Strategic Planning Weekend (SPW) was held at The Barefoot Backpackers, a perfect spacious venue. The volunteers were met with some early morning tea and refreshments to wake everyone up to the busy day ahead.
To start off the day volunteers from Ivory Park, Emmanuel and Richard, introduced the SPW meeting and outlined firstly what IkamvaYouth is and facilitated the setting out of ground rules to guide the day. They laid out their expectations of what they wanted to see as the outcomes of the SPW. Mr Mashanda, the Gauteng District Coordinator took the stand and outlined what will be taking place and he emphasised that he expected all branch related issues to be addressed during the meeting.
Both Ebony Park and Ivory Park branches gave a brief overview of branch activities throughout 2013 and immediately after that the branches broke away into 2 separate groups. The task for the larger part of the morning was to discuss the challenges faced and devise ways to solve the challenges. It was interesting because the volunteers themselves facilitated these sessions and highlighted personal observations and the sessions were very interactive. Specific action points were decided upon and recorded and feedback will already be expected from the first branch committee meetings at the branches.
The last half of the day was dedicated to branch targets and electing a new branch committee for 2014. The enthusiastic vounteers now knew what was needed at the branches and became pro-active in choosing the right candidates to fill the different portfolios.
Overally, it was a very insightful day and it is amazing to see how much support the branches have. Both Ebony Park and Ivory Park volunteers have taken ownership of IkamvaYouth in their communities!
On the 6th and 7th of April 2014 the staff, tutors and learner representatives of IkamvaYouth Chesterville branch gathered together to review the purpose of IkamvaYouth as an Organisation, the highlights that IY has seen as it continues to grow from strength to strength and what the branch can do to make sure it (the branch) carries through the vision of the Organisation. Everyone came prepared for what lay ahead as all sat together to voice out what each person expected during the course and the outcomes that they are looking forward to, moving forward, arising from this very significant event. Each person was also given, from the start, an opportunity to contribute to the ground rules that would govern the conduct and relations as the weekend progresses also keeping into account that many of these could be applied in our daily working relations in Chesterville.
This event was especially marked by a collaborative effort to find what each person believed and the ideas they held about IY as a whole. For each segment of the meeting people were divided into smaller groups to discuss certain areas or fields that formed the greater picture of that which being discussed. This allowed for each person as an individual to have a voice and for the bigger group to come up with a united understanding of what was being discussed.
Critical matters which make or break the structure of IY were placed on the table and were under discussion such as the aim of IY, the successes and failures it has encountered, the successes and failures of the branch, the core values of IY, the challenges faced by the branch and how these can be overcome, the portfolios within IY what these have managed to achieve in the previous year and what they have not and what can be done to pursue further success in each portfolio in the current year. This was a highly beneficial process as it allowed people to get answers to questions; to add what they think would assist towards growth and understand what was/is expected of them in their roles.
The programme ended with the election of new Portfolio Heads who with their team had an opportunity to look closely on the plans previously made and also to draw a new plan for the year ahead to guide its function and try to achieve better results contributing to the solidifying of the structure of IY and implementation in and therefore the successes of Chesterville as a branch.
Everyone left with renewed energy ready to take on the year ahead Superhero style!!!
Spw 2014 Umlazi
Saturday and Sunday the 29th and 30th of March saw Umlazi host it’s second ever Strategic planning weekend. The Branch staff was joined by the District coordinator, 4 learner reps and 20 volunteers for the weekend.
Volunteers and Learners reps at SPW
Saturday kicked off with a fun ice-breaker to get everyones blood and minds going. Straight from there we went into the expectations and ground rules for the weekend for everyone to follow.
It was not long before we had covered the timeline of the organisation and got into the more strategic work we had set out to do on the weekend.
Volunteers and learners in groups during Values discussion
The team broke off into 5 groups and each group discussed one of the 5 values of IkamvaYouth. Time was spent in the group to discuss and following that, we then discussed the values as a big group. Once we all finished the values discussion we moved on to reflect on the previous year.
We looked at some of the successes that the branch celebrated and some the challenges that we faced as a branch in the year 2013.
Group discussion
What followed was an introduction to each of the 5 portfolios that IkamvaYouth offers to learners. During the time the groups discussed what the aim of each portfolio is, what were the challenges and successes in 2013 and also the roles of branch com at the branch. After that we had a presentation from each group on what they had discussed. The last part of the day were nominations for the portfolio heads voting to take place on day 2.
Circle of trust
Day 2 began with the branch coordinator giving feedback on portfolio activities from 2013. What the targets were and which were met which were not, also why some of the targets were not met. A brief budget talk was also on the cards before the team split into groups once again to do planning for 2014 targets. Once the targets were done, the groups then presented to us what each portfolio had come up with for the year.
Phumla Nyaba (Head of Life Skills and health)
This was the last part of the day. The day came to a close after we had all agreed to discuss any further matters at the next branch com meeting to be held at the branch. A big thank you to everyone who was able to attend the SPW.
Lloyd Lungu