There is a popular African proverb that says “it takes a village to raise a child”. Nowhere is this proverb more important than in the education of our children. The success of the child depends on the community that surrounds and supports them. That community is made up of staff, learners, tutors, volunteers and parents.
Two of the volunteers at the Joza branch share some of their thoughts on why they continue paying it forward and volunteering at the branch. Sibulele Moyakhe is from the matric class of 2015. He tutors daily at the branch while waiting to start his nursing qualification with Netcare. Nomboniso Gongqa is a volunteer from the community who works in the office in the mornings and tutors in the afternoons.
Being a tutor for me is exciting because I get to meet people of my age and those younger than me and actually help them with their school work. Part of the reason why this whole experience excites me is because in the past few years I was a learner and there were volunteers who helped me with my school work and today I can proudly say they have made a difference in my life which is why today I made a decision to give back to the community and help when I can.
For me this tutoring thing is now becoming my hobby because it is something I get to do every day and I must say I enjoy it. There is nothing quite like being called up by a student who is stuck or cannot solve a problem asking for help, and after your assistance you see the smile on their face because you have made a difference in their lives.
One thing I have learnt ever since I have been part of IkamvaYouth is that all it takes to make a difference in one’s life as a tutor is a simple input and help where you can, and that’s what I have been doing.
The learners I work with have been very appreciative which is what drives me to keep on doing what I do, and so far the journey for me has been more than worth it, and yet this is only the beginning.
Sibulele Moyakhe, Matric 2015, Tutor 2016.
Being at IkamvaYouth has been a great experience for me because waking up to go volunteer has made me feel like a better person. Knowing that I am not here to make money for already rich people but rather helping the children of my own community. I was born and bred in Joza and I enjoy being part of an organization that has a motive of helping Joza children to be successful in life.
For me it is exciting every morning when I come to the office to see the children who are willing to put in the hours to benefit their future. The programme gives these children an opportunity to improve their education rather than spend their hours after school being involved in activities such as crime and drugs. They say if one wants to make a change then they should start at home. I’m also gladly starting at home. As much as the learners are learning from me, I am learning from them too.
Nomboniso Gongqa, Volunteer and Tutor.
Are you an after-school education organisation working in Gauteng?
Do you want to join a community of organisations working together, to deliver collective impact: improved academic achievement for learners in townships and rural areas, ensuring excellent matric results and access to tertiary, learnerships and jobs?
Would you like to receive training, support and funding to achieve this impact?
DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM
The Learning Trust (TLT) and IkamvaYouth have partnered to develop and expand the Collaborative Community, to ensure the delivery of high quality after-school tutoring programmes for South African youth living in township communities.
The Collaborative Community Programme (CCP) is a growing network of after-school programmes, where members are provided with knowledge, skills and resource-sharing opportunities. CCP aims to increase the number of high impact, sustainable tutoring programmes in South Africa.
You can get involved in various ways:
1) Become a member of the wider collaborative community, where you will be invited to take part in networking, skill sharing and targeted training sessions every other month and access a 2 day IY model introductory workshop and on-going tutor training.
2) Receive a grant for a full year of intensive training and support from The Learning Trust and IkamvaYouth. This programmatic training and support, bespoke capacity support in all areas of organisational development, such as the areas of strategy and M&E, fundraising and governance, and financial controls, as well as programme funding will enable organisations to implement the full IkamvaYouth model and increase their impact (*see criteria below).
3) Join the movement to track and monitor collective impact: use the customised database for monitoring and tracking, and become part of an ongoing independent impact evaluation.
All are welcome; please inform us about your programme and your needs. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Monday 2nd November 2015. We will be in touch in the first week of November.
To apply please download the application form HERE and return it to zoe@ikamvayouth.org.
Criteria and Eligibility
*The following criteria need to be met by any organisation wanting to receive intensive training, support and programme funding:
- Be a registered NGO/non-profit
- Have a Board established, with regular Board meetings
- Have a secured venue for your tutoring programme that has the capacity for 80+ students
- Have at least 1 full-time salaried person or a committed founder/co-founder who has been involved in the programme for at least one year and is committed to making the programme work.
- Have an assistant (can be a volunteer); and a committed team of volunteer tutors
- Have a track-record of some consistent quality service/programme provided for at least one year
- Be willing and able to use database or excel spreadsheet template for standardised attendance and outcome tracking
- Have a collaborative mind-set and dedication to capacity building and team and wider community development
- Align closely with the 5 core values of IkamvaYouth and The Learning Trust’s values of humility, diversity, honesty and a commitment to learning.
- Be an emerging community based organisation or a more established organisation looking to improve or change its tutoring model.
In order to receive this support, organisations will also be expected to comply with IkamvaYouth’s minimum standards of quality implementation:
- Commitment: Learners need to meet a minimum 75% attendance requirement to keep their place in the programme
- Individual attention: Learners engage in small group peer-to-peer learning, striving towards a 1:5 tutor: learner ratio
- Consistency: 3 tutoring/homework sessions held per week
- Sustained support: Working with learners in grades 8 – 12; but not enrolling new grade 12s (ensuring 2 – 5 years’ involvement for each learner)
- Impact: Willingness and ability to recruit a cohort of at least 30 grade 10s and 20 grade 11s as of January 2016
- Learning how to Learn: Applying tutoring methodology rather than traditional teaching methods
- Enabling access to post-school opportunities: Each grade 12 learner is paired with a mentor who helps them to apply for tertiary education, learnerships or jobs and ensures that they enroll in a post-school opportunity after matriculating
- Democratic decision making: through inclusive forums and tutor meetings constructive feedback is received from beneficiaries and volunteers
- Parental involvement: A minimum of 3 parents’ meetings held per year
Application Process
If you meet the above criteria and are committed to work towards implementing a tutoring programme as outlined above, please indicate as such on the application form.
Deadline for applications is Monday 2nd November 2015. Applications will be reviewed and you will be contacted for a follow-up telephonic interview in the week of the 2nd November 2015.
Successful applicants will be informed of next steps, which may include a site visit and a meeting with key programme, managerial staff and board members. The preliminary dates for these visits is 16-19 November.
Any organisations selected to receive programme support grants will then be required to submit a separate funding application directly to TLT in December.
The 5 Day training will take place at end of March/beginning of April 2016 and two members of staff from selected organisations must be available for the full training. Dates and attendance will be confirmed with organisations in November.
If you do not meet the requirements outlined here but are interested in working towards them or you would like to discuss your application and specific needs please contact Zoe Mann on 0744767965 or email zoe@ikamvayouth.org.
Day 1 of operations at the Mahikeng branch brought with it a sunny and exciting day for all of us as it was the first day meeting one another, from staff to volunteers and learners. After three weeks of intensive recruiting learners and tutors, tutoring session kicked off on Saturday the 15th of August 2015 at the Danville Secondary School main hall where the branch is officially based.All 52 Learners with 12 volunteers gathered at the new Ikamvayouth branch in Mahikeng at exactly 08h30amto experience the first ever tutoring session ontheir home soil.Seated in a circle they were waiting for the Programme Coordinator to explain to them what the day would entail. Before that, learners and tutors introduced themselves as it was the first time meeting and interacting with each other. The most number of learners who attended the program came from Setumo High School and Danville Secondary School.As this is a program – a first for IkamvaYouth -and not a fully fleshed branch with grades 9 – 12, IY’s Mahikeng branch only caters for grade 10 learners from nearby schools and commitment is highly expected. This enables us to create an impact that allows them to improve on their academics and lives for the better.Like our IY model indicates, learners are to be seated in groups of 5 with 1 tutor in a table assisting them with the challenges they are facing in their school subjects.
Lots of discussions were made and lots of laughter was shared on the day.We are really grateful to our host school for allowing us to use their space. The Principal and staff of Danville Secondary School have been more than welcoming. We are humbled by the warmth and cooperation received from the various community based stakeholders and parents who came in accompanying their children. Although the branch has not as yet been launched, the ball is officially rolling.
Comments from the tutors and learners
Tebogo (Tutor)
It was very challenging for me especially because I am not used to standing and speaking in front of a huge crowd. I did not know how to first approach them because naturally I am a shy person, but as the day progressed, I was fine and had lots of fun.
Selorm (Tutor)
It was quite interesting and fun. I cannot wait for more sessions to come.
Desmond (Tutor)
The day was good but a little bit challenging especially because I had to remember what I had done years back in my school subjects. However, I really appreciate the fact that these learners take initiative and take the time to explain to us what they are finding challenging.
Kefilwe Moshe, 16(Learner)
I appreciate what Ikamvayouth is doing for us. The program keeps us away from the streets and helps us to focus more on our academics. I really learnt a lot on my first day. The tutors were also friendly, and it made me interact with them better and understand better.
Palesa Sebothenyane, 17 (Learner)
I had lots of fun learning and meeting up with my fellow ikamvanites.
Watch the space for more exciting developments!
The Year Beyond programme has just had its very first successful winter school for 300 learners run by a group of 36 highly motivated volunteers. Winter school is a way of introducing our young learners to a wider world of opportunity through targeted career advice and mentoring activities, supplementary tutoring, excursions and workshops, and through career speakers offering advice and support to enable the learners to access tertiary education and employment.
Our winter schools were held at Phoenix, Manyano, ID Mkhize, and Oval North High Schools. We were hosted with warmth and the learners thoroughly enjoyed the experience. With the learners having never been to an established winter school programme, the experience unlocked their eyes and minds to a new sphere of possibilities.
Winter Schools are not like the daily routine of a normal school day, instead it’s about intensive tutoring and different workshops focussed on equipping the students with a sense of independence as well as ensuring that they leave with the confidence and understanding in mind, knowing that it starts with self. The activities and workshops were aligned with the intention of developing our learner’s leadership skills, level of awareness, valuing self and importantly raising awareness of the social issues affecting youth and the preventative actions that are available to them.
Tutoring
The core component of Year Beyond winter school is the academic content. Learners received 2 hour intensive tutoring sessions with a variety of tutoring resources including; past papers, mock exams and Answer Series study guides, English (Fundza) and Math (Olico) Fundamentals.
Workshops
In addition to the academic emphasis, the winter school provided an opportunity for a number of workshops around themes relating to general life-skills, HIV/Aids awareness, filmmaking and personal presentation skills. Learners were also exposed to information helpful to choosing subjects when they start grade 10.
The varied workshops included; Peers in Sexual Health running workshops about teenage pregnancy / STIs/ HIV information and training through experiential games and role plays; UCT Health Faculty who ran TB awareness and movie screening for health awareness; a workshop from Live Magazine on how to build a newsletter and magazine, while Rae Human and partners gave a presentation from the Film and Publication Board covering topics like cyber safety, the film industry and the Board as national regulator that were geared towards enlightening learners to the dangers of the media landscape. Students filmed their own short documentary through crash courses in sound, lighting and directing. UCT Humanities Faculty ran subject choice workshops and requirements to access post school institutions, and many learners went on an excursion to the Jewish Museum which aimed to create an understanding, gain knowledge and an appreciation of religious and cultural diversity within our society, and to respect the dignity, rights and values of people from different religions and cultures.
Combination of Schools
As the old adage goes; two hands are better than one and combining two schools per cluster was the winning idea. Manyano high school combined with Intlanganiso high school at Manyano and Tafelsig combined with Oval North at Oval North High. Additionally, Phoenix combined with Heideveld at Phoenix and ID Mkhize combined with Leiden high at ID Mkhize high school. At this point it’s where we could see the excitement on learners’ face when they were introduced to their peers from different schools. Peer to peer support was the tool that was used by tutors to ensure learners supported one another, but also in building a culture of hard work and being responsible to and for each other.
A huge thanks to all the workshop facilitators, tutors and learners – Your passion, commitment, excitement and leadership shown over this time has started to set a precedent in the schools, instilling a culture of hard work and belief in the possibility of a bright and beautiful future!
IkamvaYouth is very proud to announce that the average pass rate for its Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI) funded branches was 83%; smashing the national average of 75.8%. Of those who passed, 82% are eligible for tertiary education with 51% achieving a bachelor pass.
ABI and IkamvaYouth have a smart strategic partnership which has enabled IkamvaYouth to establish four branches (Umlazi in KZN, Ebony Park and Mamelodi in Gauteng, Ikageng in the North West Province). ABI’s staff have been actively involved in the branches; not only have they provided funding, but ABI employees have refurbished and upgraded branches and provided tutoring and mentoring to learners. “ABI has enabled IkamvaYouth to help disadvantaged learners get the best possible matric qualification so that they are well on the path to earning a dignified living,” says IkamvaYouth director, Joy Olivier.
One of the many examples of incredible achievement comes from Tiyiselani Mpangane, who joined the Ebony Park branch in 2012 as a grade 10 learner, when she was really struggling at school. Soon her results began to shoot up, and they didn’t stop! She got 6 distinctions, and has already been accepted to study medicine at UCT. This is an exceptional achievement: out of 200 first year UCT medical students, only ten are black. “I feel so proud, I feel so proud.. words can’t describe how excited I am for her, and I wish her and all these learners all the best in life”, says Nyasha Zvomuya, Branch Coordinator at Ebony Park, the most established of IkamvaYouth’s ABI-funded branches, where 91% of the class of 2014 have indicated that they want to return to IkamvaYouth to become volunteer tutors.
“IkamvaYouth is absolutely thrilled to have ABI’s support and looks forward to working with them in 2015 and beyond”, says Leigh Meinert, chairperson of IkamvaYouth.
“As we celebrate our fifth year with IkamvaYouth, I am thrilled that the sustained high performance of ‘Ikamvanites’ continue to ensure that ABI as a company remains committed to Education Development in our country. This partnership is worth every investment, especially since it gives more than just education but supplies a continued pool of inspired tutors that return to give back to IkamvaYouth. We are really proud of all ‘Ikamvanites’.” Tshidi Ramogase, Head of Corporate Affairs, ABI.
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
Lloyd Lungu