Entering the second week of Winter School 2013 was exciting for all KZN Ikamvanites, we had gotten the hang of things. The first week had been exciting, challenging and a lot of fun. Learners were looking forward with anticipation to what was in store for them for week two.
Tutoring continued as usual, in the mornings with activities and talks planned for the afternoon sessions. In this the second week, the Love Life Mpintshis continued to give valuable life lessons to learners, while DSW came in to speak about waste management and gave away prizes to those learners who participated actively in the waste management talk. Media, Image and Expression workshops were held where we saw learners learning to express themselves in ways they knew how, ranging from poetry to acting, singing and dressing up in a way that represented their personalities.
The last group of learners did the amazing race, this was the best group by far. They complained, they cried, they argued but they kept going at it. This race taught many of life’s lessons which I don’t think the learners noticed at the time but there were lessons to be learnt like working as a team, persevering and accountability just to mention a few.
The matrics were fortunate to be afforded a chance to watch the movies of the set books they are reading in English. We had Shakespeare’s Othello, Nothing But The Truth and Animal Farm playing for the learners. This was aimed at assisting them to get a better understanding of the books through a visual medium. The English lecturers were also there to assist them with any questions they may have had. For those who don’t do any of the above mentioned books we entertained them with a movie “My Name is Khan”. The lessons in this movie ranged from perseverance to going after what you believe in to kindness being rewarded and the truth being able to set you free. Again the matrics were taken through a financial literacy workshop by Capitec. This was seen as a very important tool for them as they would not only be equipped academically for the “big bad world” but they would also have financial health knowledge. Grade 11 learners had the opportunity to write a Maths Test also supplied by Capitec to gauge their levels of literacy in Maths.
We were also graced by the visit of our National Coordinator, Zamo Shongwe, who came in for two days in the second week. She really just reminded us of why we were there as staff and volunteers and encouraged us to continue pressing on. She also firmly reminded us that we should carry ourselves in a way that is admirable and that the learners can take a pattern from with regards to behavior, the way we speak to each other and to learners, dress code (no caps indoors) and drawing the line between learner and adult.
When we came to the end of week 2, we were tired and drained but content, our goal had been achieved. There were no major setbacks and we all took something away from this experience.
This is my hand…..your hand
that hand that speaks to his and hers..
To this and That…Iam that….
Like compass ….I carry direction..see it in my veins..
Iam like a path leading to various routes…
from here to there..feel it in my palm…and fingers
Iam hand that makes and not breaks…
I bring the good and Not bad
Iam not a fist …dont fold me for I carry a seed in me..
A seed that blossoms when unfolded
There are opportunities in me…..
fingers are my support structure..Please dont burn them
this is your choice
take care of me
they say one hand washes the other…well, I could wash yours if you do mine
nurture me…Iam your hand that carries your future
Seek in me the path to the sunrays…
For I hold the light. (created by Modjadji:NSPW 2012)
This is will be a blog from the Makhaza branch… For now you can view the pictures from our “Phoenix” office party…
To view them go to the IKAMVA YOUTH home page and go to the flickr icon to see the goings on of the day…
Enjoy!
IkamvaYouth: Branch Coordinator
IkamvaYouth is a township-based non-profit organisation, established in 2003 and formally registered in 2004, with branches in three provinces, operating from Khayelitsha, Nyanga and Masiphumelele in the Western Cape, Ivory Park in Gauteng, and the greater Cato Manor area in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. While learners enroll at IkamvaYouth when they are in grades 8, 9, 10 and 11, the programme’s success is ultimately determined by the number of grade 12 learners who access tertiary institutions and/or employment-based learning opportunities when they matriculate. IkamvaYouth in the Greater Cato Manor area of Durban (comprised of Cato Crest, Cato Manor, Ridgeview, Chesterville and Bonela townships), has grown from the Maths Support Programme that was started in 2007 by students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Howard College campus for learners from the nearby Cato Crest informal settlement.
IkamvaYouth in Durban seeks to fill the position of Branch Coordinator for its flagship office, which will be based in the township of Chesterville. S/he will be a solutions orientated social entrepreneur who is passionate about the power of education to transform lives and communities, and wants to make a difference. This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in a by-youth for-youth educational movement that empowers young people to take our future into our own hands. Previous exposure to volunteer work or an NGO environment preferable but not essential.
Responsibilities:
- Work closely with the Directors of other branches in a coordinated and collaborative way to ensure alignment of policies and processes, and prevent duplication of effort;
- Recruit, coordinate and support volunteer tutors and mentors;
- Liaise with the schools, parents and other community stakeholders;
- Fundraise to build the branch (meeting with funders, writing proposals and reports);
- Manage an office and ensure accurate and up-to date data collection and administration for monitoring and evaluation;
- Budgeting, financial management and reporting;
- Coordinate the organisation’s communications (website, group e-mail discussion lists, newsletters, etc.) together with other ikamvanites;
- Lead the team of volunteers to implement the supplementary tutoring, career guidance and mentoring and holiday programmes. Requirements:
- Post Matric qualification
- Project management skills
- Conflict resolution skills
- Financial management skills
- Report writing and presentation skills
- Organised and efficient;
- Enjoys working with young people;
- Able to work alone and take initiative;
- Adept at using computers and able to work virtually (many discussions, meetings and document development occur collaboratively online);
- “Can do” attitude and belief is very important (IkamvaYouth achieves great results despite challenging environments and minimal resources);
Send resume with covering letter to: zamo@ikamvayouth.org
Closing date: 29 July 2011
We have been studying the poetry from ‘Through Our Eyes’ in English class. My Year 9 High school students in Australia spent a few weeks reading and reflecting on the insightful and inspiring poetry from IkamvaYouth. I, their teacher, spent a year in Cape Town in 2008 and volunteered with Ikamva as a tutor as well as taking part in all the other wonderful things that were being done. I was at the exhibition of the photos from the book and ran an interactive body percussion workshop at the launch. Some of you might remember the slogan we sang: Pictures are our stories of the world through our eyes.
As a result, it was so exciting when I started teaching in High school and realised that I could use this opportunity to spread the story of IkamvaYouth, a self sustaining, innovative organisation. At the same time, I could expose my students to some new themes and introduce them to some of the passionate people I had met, through their poetry.
We spent a few classes discussing HIV and AIDS, exchanging information that is essential for all young people. This tied in very well with Thobela’s poem ‘I want the meaning of Positive’ and it sparked much conversation about HIV as a personal and global issue and what life might be like if the word ‘Positive’ took on a new meaning from the one you’d been taught as a child. ‘Do you know your status’ was also another poem that struck my students. Life can be planned. We can strive for dreams, but all that could come to nothing if we don’t know our status. ‘I had never realised’ was another poem that we enjoyed, because it told about how perspectives change as a result of experiences. Often we don’t realise things until they stare us right in the face. This poem allowed us to question our lives and our assumptions, and begin to wonder how many things ‘we’ haven’t realised yet. It also led us to discuss what might be similar in the lives of teenagers in Khayelitsha and Australia, and what things might be different.
We also spent some time looking at the Photo Gallery on the IkamveYouth website, and that allowed us to spend an afternoon seeing Khayelitsha through your eyes as well as catching a glimpse of some of the poets in the photos. Here are my students’ reflections on some of the poetry. We’d like to thank all the poets and photographers for the snapshot of their lives, that allowed us to enter and learn from the experience. I’d also like to thank Joy for allowing us to share our reflections with you.
Eva Franklin
Lloyd Lungu