Makhaza Winter School
Learners are so excited about winter school. Please feel free to join this group on facebook: IkamvaYouth-makhaza winter school.
If you are interested in tutoring please contact me zukile@ikamvayouth.org
From learner to staff member
I joined IkamvaYouth in 2004 while I was doing my grade 11. In 2005 I was doing my matric. In 2006 I started to volunteer in the organisation while I was doing my first year at the University of the Western Cape. Since then I have been an active member in the organisation. In 2011 I started to work for the organisation. I am the first former learner to actually work for the organisation. I’m real happy to work for the organisation. Giving back to my community is very important to me. Never thought one I would work for this organisation. This also brought a change in my life. I studied Bcom Information systems now I am working as an administrator. While I was studying, I was hoping to work for private companies and never thought I would be working for NGO, but I am happy and satisfied to work for IkamvaYouth. Then I realised that you can study for certain field and working in different field and be satisfied.
Thank You
Fire in Masiphumelele destroys 1000 homes, including those of 7 Ikamvanites
Fire in Masiphumelele destroys more than 1000 homes, including those of 7 Ikamvanites
In the early hours of the morning on 2nd May, Masiphumelele was ravaged by the angry snapping of fire. The fire is said to have started toward the west of the township and swept quickly and ferociously into more than a 1000 homes. Shacks were predominantly affected but there are houses too that are standing as hollow shells of the homes they once were.
7 Ikamvanite learners were amongst the victims. ‘Everything is destroyed’ said grade 10 learner Linda, as she stood in line to receive her ‘kit’ to rebuild what her and her family had lost. Whilst the ‘kit’ is something, it consists of a meagre portion of wood and corrugated iron.
A couple of the learners are not entitled to a rebuilding kit as their homes did not have formal numbers. When asked what she needed, Tandazwa Nocanda, a grade 12 said ‘I don’t know where to start… everything’. Her brother is searching for materials to start building their new shack today.
Tandazwa was alone when the fire began, her brother was visiting the Eastern Cape; ‘I didn’t know what to do, I was so scared, I was terrified’. When her friend woke her at midnight on Sunday, she quickly changed into the clothes that are now her only possessions and fled the flames. She wasn’t able to grab anything.
It is horrendous that these young people who are so eager to change their futures have been affected so heavily by this accident. Their school books, study materials, and uniforms all went up in flames. Today, school was closed as so many learners had nothing. Tomorrow, they will attend school and they hope to receive school uniforms and books to help them continue to study for the imminent exams that commence in 3 weeks.
The most pressing needs are the provision of clothing, school uniforms (shoes in particular), blankets, sheets, towels, mattresses, kitchen/cooking equipment; pots, pans, cutlery, monetary donations for the re-building of houses. Avile Mabhengu, a grade 11 learner, is sleeping on his friend’s floor and wearing his best friend’s shoes that are a size too small. There is a real need for any donations people can contribute; be it money or in-kind.
Any donations for the Masiphumelele community can be delivered to The Pink House opposite the Community Hall, or the Living Hope building on Kommejtie Road. The IkamvaYouth Man Club (a group of boys in grade 10-12 would like to get together and go and help paint shacks in the community. If there is any help with paint, paintbrushes, wood seal, etc this would be great. Any monetary or in-kind donations for our learners specifically, or for more information, please contact zoe@ikamvayouth.org to arrange collection or make a payment to the IkamvaYouth Masi bank account (details below).
Beneficiary name:IKAMVAYOUTH MASI
Bank name:STANDARD BANK
Beneficiary account number:70507295
Branch code:00051001
Branch name:CAPE TOWN
Photos by Solomzi Mtagwane (Grade 12 learner)
Messages of Support Pour in for IkamvaYouth
Please scroll down to the bottom of this page to send your own message of support.
Join us, the community of Khayelitsha and the IkamvaYouth branches across the country, in expressing our complete outrage and disbelief of the events of the past few days.
Yet, as we write this, we are also deeply grateful for the messages of support that continue to pour into IkamvaYouth’s inboxes and we thank you for all the well-wishes. Already, Ikamvanites, their parents, volunteers and members of the Khayelitsha community are helping clear up the devastation that was left in the wake of these senseless Freedom Day acts. It is, afterall, the ordinary people from all sections of South Africa that are the heartbeat of this country and we join together in a collective resilience and assurance that actions like these, that seek to destroy, will always be self-defeating.
Click here for details of the events that occured.
We are especially grateful for the support of our friends at Equal Education and the support of the many people below who join us in recommiting ourselves to building communities across South Africa that are about growth, hope and a future without violence and poverty. We will not rest until we get the country (and the world) we so dearly desire.
Responses to the news of the petrol bombing of the IkamvaYouth offices in Khayelitsha from ordinary South Africans whose support help make us feel extra-ordinary (feel free to add your own at the bottom):
Headquarters in Khayelitsha petrol-bombed on Freedom Day
Less than two weeks after being heralded in the Minister of Basic Education’s Budget Speech, IkamvaYouth’s head office in Makhaza, Khayelitsha was petrol-bombed.
“I thought I was going to die” said Mpumzi Klaas, an ex-learner who has been volunteering as a tutor and mentor since 2007.
“We had just taken our learners on an excursion to Ratanga Junction to enjoy Freedom Day, and five minutes after they left the office someone threw stones and fire through the window, and the recently-donated Answer Series study guides caught alight.” Mpumzi and Sinethemba Lutango, another ex-learner-turned volunteer who’s currently studying at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), hid under the tables and called the police.
Thankfully they managed to escape unharmed, but were very shocked upon their return to the office this morning where they found that the premises had been further attacked and completely destroyed. The roof is burnt; the computers have melted; all equipment, records and resources reduced to ashes.
IkamvaYouth is a non-partisan, non-governmental organisation that was established in 2003 in Makhaza with the objective of enabling disadvantaged youth to pull themselves out of poverty and into university and employment through peer-to-peer learning and support. The programme’s success (87-100% matric pass rate since 2005 and over 70% of learners accessing tertiary for the past three years) has led to the model’s replication in five townships in three provinces, and numerous accolades include winning the Mail and Guardian / Southern Africa Trust Drivers of Change award in 2010.
IkamvaYouth’s office space is availed to the organisation free of charge by the municipality. In addition to destroying the office, the attackers threw stones into the Nazeema Isaacs Library and torched the adjoining Zimele Pre-Primary school. “We just don’t understand why anyone would do this”, said Monica Nabuya, the principal of Zimele.
Mrs Bidla, who has two grandchildren in grades 9 and 10, says “I cannot begin to express how badly I have been hurt by this. As a parent, I just cannot understand how anyone can do such a bad thing to an organisation that helps our children. IkamvaYouth has kept our children off the streets and helped them focus on their studies.” She has suggested a parents’ meeting “so that we can protect the future of our children”.
“We are trying to free people from poverty and yet on Freedom Day our office was burnt. This means that people do not understand what Freedom Day stands for, and they do not understand that we’re trying to balance disparities and redress injustice”, said Thobela Bixa, an IkamvaYouth board member and ex-learner who’s currently doing his MA in Chemistry at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
Mrs Sobethwa whose child is in grade 10 said “You do not expect something like this will happen to an organisation like IkamvaYouth… I believe that there is still hope… the name Ikamva sums it up, the organisation has a brighter future and more good things are going to happen. This is the time we have to stand up as community members and oppose this kind of behaviour”.
“I’m so hurt by all of this. I was looking forward to a great day of tutoring but only to come to this”, said Unathi Gcani, a grade 10 learner who joined Ikamva in 2011.
Unathi continued, “this is going to impact badly on our studies. I blame our community for all this because no one can come from another township to vandalise our resources, how do they expect us to pass when they burn our Answer Series booklets? Against all of this, I am still committed to Ikamva because I have seen the impact it has made to previous learners.”
Contact:
Winile Mabhoko
Makhaza Branch Coordinator
0798854372
Nyanga Strategic Planning Weekend
The Nyanga Branch on the 26 March 2011 held its very own independent SPW which was attended by learners and tutors from the Nyanga Branch and visited by Joy and Zoe
This has been a very excitting weekend for the Nyanga Branch as it was two days of planning the year and reflecting on the succeses and acheivements we have had, the memebers took time to know each other better and share reasons why they are part of Ikamva Youth
On the 26th we discussed issues that the branch is facing and reasons for those issues, where we broke into groups and had to come up with solutions and ways to make the Nyanga Branch meet everyones needs as best as possible
As it was our very first SPW as a branch we had the time to really focus on branch specific issues and realise that all IY branches have common and individual issues facing each branch,the day was dedicated to addressing themes that came up in our group discussions
The following day we dedicated the day to planning and putting dates for all actions to be taken, we spent the last day of the weekend setting realistic goals and deadlines so that this year we meet our goals, seeing that we have more capacity than any other years
To find the spw report press here:
The weekend has been a very fruitful weekend and has left the Nyanganites ready to take this year by STORM!!!
Lloyd Lungu