The last day of winter school for the Ebony and Ivory Park branches was filled with mixed emotions. We were sad about the end of winter school, uplifted by the amazing contributions at the talent show, and overwhelmed by a rather daunting part of the programme: “Andrew’s Farewell”. Andrew has been a key ikamvanite since 2009 and his contribution has been so significant that it’s really rather impossible to say goodbye. We have this saying “once an ikamvanite, always an ikamvanite”, and so, rather than bidding Andrew farewell, we spent some time thanking and celebrating him.
Andrew and I first met in 2008, when he became interested in our Operation Fikelela curriculum and its potential use for Siyakhula. He was interested in the IY model, decided to pilot it, and then founded IkamvaYouth Gauteng in 2009. His selfless commitment to realising his vision for the Ebony Park community has been relentless; he has been at every single Saturday tutoring session for three and a half years, and has built not only two branches in Gauteng, but played a key role on natcom, informing who we are and how we do things, and enabling us to become an organisation with a national footprint.
Together with the many learners, tutors and supporters whose efforts he’s inspired and coordinated along the way, Andrew has made an incredible impact. In 2011, the Ebony Park branch achieved a 94% pass rate and 100% post school placement, with 45% at universities, and last year they reached a 100% pass rate and 83% access to tertiary.
Not only has Andrew’s work fundamentally changed the lives of the people he’s worked with, but he has established something that will keep on changing many lives. The individuals who were learners during Andrews time will become the tutors who will support more learners to reach similar heights.
But this work is not easy, and it’s this, even more than the outcomes that I want to thank Andrew for. Andrew has essentially been volunteering for IkamvaYouth all of this time. He has a full-time job running his own NGO, and has sacrificed massive amounts to create this beautiful home for all of us. And he even managed to study and win awards in addition to his two full time jobs! He has sweated the small stuff: filling out attendance, capturing data, making sandwiches and dealing with the un-fun aspects of this work. And he’s also been a visionary leader who’s inspired hundreds of people to change the world.
So I’m not going to say farewell. I know that our organisations will continue to collaborate and that ultimately we are still working together towards the same goal:
The fact that 2 million of the 2.8 million South Africans Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETS) haven’t passed matric tells us something about how to fix this problem. What IkamvaYouth and Siyakhula are working towards is ensuring that young South Africans don’t become NEETS but rather IETS. (“Iets” means “something” in Afrikaans.)
So what IkamvaYouth and SEF and everyone in that room on the last day of winter school, led by Andrew, is doing, is ensuring that ikamvanites become iets; become something. Ikamvanites become something so great that very soon they can in turn help other learners to become something. And what ikamvanites are going to become and are becoming already, are the leaders of the country. Because the generations before us do not know how to fix this problem. The education crisis is so huge and so massive that they are scared by it. But we do know how to fix it. And instead of wringing our hands and talking about how we need to work together to fix things, we’re getting on with it.
That’s what Andrews been doing for the last 4 years, and, through SEF, is going to continue doing for the next many years, and so this isn’t a goodbye but a huge thank you. For your leadership, your volunteerism, your inspiration, your selflessness, for challenging us, for pushing us, and for sharing all you know with this amazing team of people who will continue with the amazing work you started.
The cool kids on the block, Nyanga and Makhaza got their mascara and trendy threads out at winter school for a collaboation with Live Magazine.
Have a look here at a behind the scenes look at what happened when our stylish fashionistas got their hands on cameras and were let loose to scout locations around UCT for the perfect shot.
[Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHk6_v0n02Y&feature=relmfu]
They have also uploaded some of the stories writed that week on the Live magazine mobile channel.
Huge thanks to Nkuli, Julia and the Live Magazine team for such awesome workshops!
Wednesdays is usually Homework Sessions at our Vuyani Nkosi Memorial Youth Centre but all that changed for Mandela Day, where we dedicated 67 minutes of our usual 2 hour sessions to giving back once again to the community. The overarching objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better. Well with the future in their hands, this is what IY’s Chesterville learners had in mind for their Mandela Day.
18 July ( Nelson Mandela’s birthday ofcourse ) saw Chesterville learners, staff and tutors return to the St Anthony’s Church’s Mission in a quest to not only finish painting a class we had painted during winter school but also brighten up another class we had been permitted to paint and this time it was in honour of our first democratically elected president, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela who was turning 94
St. Anthony’s Church has a mission which houses abused women and children. Mothers who live at the mission with their toddlers, have the pleasure of having their young ones attend a pre-school located in the premises of the church. These 2 classes are separated – one being for infants and toddlers while the other is for grade 0 learners.
having been the first black president in 1994.
Read a snippet about the event on the official Mandela Day site.
Some day we may be mining our landfills for the resources we’ve buried. A scary fact presented to the learners of IY’s Chesterville on their Operation Clean Up which was
held on the morning of Thursday, 28 June.
This was a new initiative piloting in Winter School in an aide to get our learners to give
back to the community that they’ve grown up in ( majority if our learners either attend
school within the Chesterville area and/or live within the area – or surroundings )
Durban Solid Waste and Ethekwini Municipality’s Parks and Recreation played a
major role in making this day possible. Thursdays activities started with the learners
taking a walk through the Education & Waste Minimisation Mobile Training Centre –
a bus which travels around various schools and communities within the municipalities
educating society about waste management and recycling through joint collaborations
between the municipality, Engen and the Association of Waste Management.
Mr Njebo, who is in KwaZulu Natal’s head office of Waste Management delivered a talk
about recycling and gave learners ideas on household waste they can recycle.
After all this, learners and tutors were separated into various groups and it was time to
walk around Chesterville to help clean up the community. DSW kindly sponsored gloves
as well as plastic bags which we would use to collect all the waste we found along our
way.
Our first stop was the local hospice where learners cleaned outside the premises, the yard
and gardens. Thereafter we took a walk down towards the St Anthony’s Church’s mission amidst
the support and cheers of local community members.
Arriving at the mission, we were greeted by a Parks and Recreation truck which was
there to deliver the tools sponsored by the department which would be used to clean up
the yard.
Once again learners were separated into groups and cleaned around the yard of the
mission as well as clearing the yard of weeds.
Learners enjoyed clearing up the garden and we are looking forward to hopefully return
to plant a few vegetables for the abused and abandoned women and children which this
mission houses.
After our Operation Clean Up, Chesterville learners returned to DUT for academic
tutoring. At this time, Umlazi learners, who had started the morning in the classroom,
began their Operation Clean Up with a presentation from Zanele, from the DSW
education department. The presentation focused on various aspects such as awareness of
pollution, waste management, different disposal areas in KZN and what effect waste has
on the environment.
Zanele futher empasised the importance of “the 3 Rs” (Reduce, Re-use, Re-cycle), in
combating the negative impact waste has on the environment.
Another important aspect which they touched on was the illegal dumping of waste
especially by our households when they miss the scheduled time of the municipal truck
picking up waste in the neighborhood.
After the insightful presentation, learners were taken to the beach, not to swim, but to
give back to their environment, by cleaning up the litter in the area.
Having Joy Olivier ( co-founder of IkamvaYouth ) and Zamo Shongwe ( IY’s National Coordinator ) join
The clean-up was an added treat for the learners. The amount of litter collected in the
few minutes that the learners were there (just under 30 minutes) was a real eye opener.
Learners really got to see just how bad the issue of pollution on our beaches actually is.
We hope that this is the start of a great initiative and that learners will be able to use all
the knowledge that they gained about taking care of their environment, within their daily
lives.
Last year the Makhaza branch had an opportunity to pilot a project with Education without Borders (EwB) who aims to provide improved educational opportunities and facilities in disadvantaged regions of the world. The program focussed on Grade 8s in aid to work through and understand basic math principles that highlight the simplicity of mathematics and emphasises the critical importance of foundational skills while acknowledging the complicated challenges and circumstances of life, which many of IkamvaYouth learners are coping with.
With the phenomenal results achieved in 2011 that you can read about here, the program continued with our new cohort of grade 8s. Beginning in January thus far they have completed two of the books in the program, and during winter school made headways into the third book.
Thus far, of the 20 learners who started the program at the beginning of 2012 in total, 3 were excluded because of poor attendance, 1 dropped out and the rest have begun to show the results expected looking at last years group. The group is a complete mix from 6 different schools in Khayelitsha.
Class Assessment
We have held two internal assessment tests during the first two terms. The first assessment test held in term 1 was based on work covered by Book 1. The second assessment test held in term 2 was based on the work covered by Book 2. The results of learners for the first two tests are shown below.
The chart above shows clearly the increase in math ability achieved by 16 of 20 Grade 8’s who wrote the assessment tests in the first two terms. Some learners were still finding it difficult to catch up with others as they still struggle to understand the basic fundamentals, however there is quite an improvement judging from term one school results.
Comparison of average percentage in Internal assessments vs. School results
It is clear that almost all learners scored higher in the internal test than their school results, not only does this program cover the basic fundamentals in basic math literacy, through the peer to peer learning and an environment created while attending tutoring sessions at IkamvaYouth that these students excel in many of their other subjects, as well as with their self confidence when approaching problems that arise and the means to approach them.
Learner performance
The learners who have be attending regularly showed great improvement and the results are showing improved confidence and with increased attendance the better the results, there has also been significant peer-to-peer learning and problem solving collaboration.
While most students show increases in results there have been 5 standout students who have excelled showing significant results with the internal tests administered as well as excelling in their school results.
|
Learner
|
Results %
Book 1 Book 2 School avg
|
|
A
|
98
|
76
|
80
|
|
B
|
96
|
74
|
79
|
|
C
|
81
|
70
|
77
|
| D |
83
|
64
|
75
|
|
E
|
65
|
70
|
70
|
Looking at the past Grade 8 group currently in Grade 9: *
Since this is the second year implimenting this program with our Grade 8s, it is also interesting to look at the results of the grade 9s and to compare those who were part of initial grade 8 group versus new students in grade 9 who began this year at IkamvaYouth. To do this a test was administered with the following results:
Existing Ikamvanites scored an average of 23.6/60 on the test versus new Ikamvanites who scored an average of 19.9/60
This test is one, imperfect, snapshot of the mathematical competencies. It could be criticised for being “too hard” and including many problems not yet covered in the syllabus. However, a very basic conclusion can be drawn that the existing Ikamvanites scored better than the new Ikamvanites and attained a higher average as a group.
* Many thanks to Andrew Einhorn for administering the tests and providing these results
Well done Grade 8s keep it up!!
Special thanks to:
Cecil and Ruth Hershler -funding provided through Education Without Borders
‘Yes We Can’ math books writen by Dr Rahael Jalan
Nicholas Mei – Grade 8 tutor
The hallway was buzzing and excitement filled the air as learners from Umlazi and Chesterville branches gathered outside Durban University of Technology’s ( DUT) passages of the library basements.
It was a mixture of old and new learners as well as old and new tutors all waiting in anticipation for the official start of Winter School. With the first half of the day dedicated to academic/tutoring activies and the latter to activities, fun and learning were definitely on the cards for the week.
This was the perfect opportunity to introduce our Reading Corner initiative, the brainchild of our Branch Assistant Cheryl Nzama. Having collected books from friends as well as a generous loan by the Umlazi AA Library ( where IY Umlazi is based ) we had a large box of books to spread amongst all learners from both branches. The aim of our book corner is not only to get learners interested in reading but also to enhance their English reading and writing skills.
Tuesday saw the arrival of the Answer Series books which IY learners over the years have used during Homework and Saturday Sessions as well as for preparation for exams. All this is possible through the kind sponsorship of The Answer , who provide these study guides for all our learners across the grades.
A lot of Grade 11 IY learners count Wednesday as their favourite day week 1. This is because Durban University of Technology‘s Chemistry lab ( through the assistance of senior Lecturer and Lab Assistant Mr Roy Nursagh donated half of the morning ( and some of their staff members ) towards doing various Chemistry practicals with learners – a great fete as most learners are in schools who are not equipped with Chemistry labs and only depend on their textbooks to study. Learners had the chance to do four different experiments as well as watch a presentation by Mr Roy for two other experiments.
The two branches went their separate ways on Thursday for Operation Clean Up, an initiative aimed at encouraging environmental awareness and offering the learners an opportunity to back to their environment . Early in the morning Chesterville learners met up at the Vuyani Nkosi Memorial Centre where IY Chesterville is based and cleaned up the Chesterville Hospice, the main road ( Mahlathi Road ) as well as the St Anthony’s Church’s Mission which houses old aged as well as abused women and children.
Through the assistance of Chesterville’s Area Based Management ( ABM ), Durban Solid Waste ( DSW ) donated plastics, gloves as well as an Environmental Bus and guest speaker for the event was Mr Njeba while Ethekwini Municipality’s Parks, Recreation and Culture donated tools used to clean up the yard. Both companies were also kind enough to sponsor 2 trucks and 4 municipal workers that picked up the litter collected by learners as well as the rubble from the mission.
Friday, learners were combined and then separated into 4 groups : Yellow, Green, Blue and Red which were The Peacemakers, Ingqungqulu, Blue Bullz and Umlilo respectively.
This was for our set to be annual event : Sports Day, an idea brought about by our Umlazi Branch Coordinator S’bonelo Cele.
Various games such as Soccer, Netball as well as 100m, 400m and 400m Relay races and indigenous games such as Hopscotch, Amagende, Sprite and uShumpu were played and saw The Peacemakers ( Yellow ) walk away as the official winners of the event having collected the most points. ABI were the proud sponsors of this event which they also dubbed their CSI Day. Read more about the day here.
Lloyd Lungu