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
![Makhaza learners attend ReThink Leadership Un[convention]al](https://www.wordpress.ikamvayouth.org/wp-content/uploads/migrated/imagecache/scale_480/10269384_10152290885146901_89011521188412849_n_0.jpg)
On the early morning of Saturday, 11th October 2014, 40 grade 8 & 9 learners departed from Makhaza to attend the annual ReThink Leadership Un[convetion]al workshop. The IY masterminds arrived at District 6 Museum at 08:00 am.
They were welcomed with a healthy and delicious breakfast before their fun filled day kicked off. The registration period was from 08:30 – 09:00 am after which the workshop started with some ceative activities and introduction.
The purpose of the Un[convention]al workshop was to engage high school learners from different backgrounds to share ideas on how to tackle issues that face their communities.
The young and dynamic minds were energized to think out of the box to bring forth unparalleled suggestions as courses of action.
One of the grade 9 learners, Tania Siswana said, “I learnt a lot of interesting things at the ReThink Leadership Un[convention]al. I learnt how to make a chair out of tyres and how to make a lot of other things from material that you would not think of. I understood how travelling the world could be beneficial to me . It was great, it was fun, it was exciting, it was inspirational and yet educating. I will never forget what they taught us about the 3 C’s which are be CURIOUS, be COURAGEOUS and to COMMUNICATE.”
The young minds were really inspired to be involved in constructive dialogue and meeting youth that they would not normally engage in conversations with.
A huge thank you to the Rethink Leadership team for such an amazing day and inviting the Ikamvanites.
“On the third Saturday of September each year (20 September 2014), volunteers around the world take part in the world’s biggest coastal cleanup, known as International Coastal Cleanup Day. The event has been held internationally each year for over 20 years, when people head to the beaches and begin removing debris and rubbish from shorelines, waterways and oceans”.
This year was no different, as the Western Cape Ikamvanites took to the Helderberg Marine protected area coast to clean the 4 km of beach which is the least disturbed part of the northern shore of False Bay. The Nyanga Ikamvanites came out in numbers and were more than excited to participate in such a great initiative of keeping our coasts clean.
This year the WITS Psychology honours students came to celebrate heritage day with IkamvaYouth Gauteng branches namely, Ebony Park and Ivory Park. The partnership that IkamvaYouth Gauteng has with Wits Psychology students started last year when Professor Jude Clark and Professor Jill Bradbury came to celebrate freedom day by organizing an Identity workshop to talk to learners about issues surrounding their identity and how it connects with Freedom Day. Same as last year, the team brought food and games for learners to play. A total number of 120 learners from both branches attended the self-awareness workshop on the 24th of September (Heritage Day) that started from 9am and ended at 16:30pm.
The day started with introductions from the team and some fun getting to know each other games where learners were told to form a circle and throw a piece of their belonging inside the circle, then everyone had to rush in the circle and pick any object that doesn’t belong to them and find the owner of the object to start a conversation with. Learners were grouped and given a facilitator to tackle certain topics. A number of groups were in place and included the following;
The group was mainly dealing with different cultures that are found in Africa, how they differ to each other and what does it mean as a person to be African. Here the team organized a modelling contest where learners had to wear different cultural clothing to showcase and embrace their culture during presentations.
- Nature’s Beauty “Bontle Ba Naga”
This group was called “Bontle ba naga”, meaning nature’s beauty. The group was mainly focusing on the things that are natural to the world and how people use this to their advantage as one learner mentioned a Mopane tree that produces Mopane worms which are regarded as food by many individuals.
This group celebrate heritage by learning different languages that are spoken and the way people sing and dance. They also touched on how a person forgets their culture and adopt other cultures or implements their own culture like that of “skhothanes” where young individuals wear expensive clothes to express their identity.
The group also discussed the negative and positive impacts of heritage where they mentioned initiation schools as a negative impact because some people open initiation schools for business without the necessary skills needed. The second negative impact was that of beliefs. The group mentioned that often people confuse ancestors with God. They clearly state that it is a negative because it courses conflict between cultures or people. The positive impact was based on respect, where the group was comparing the modern individuals to the individuals who lived in the olden days. They argued that the modern individuals lack respect compared to those of the past. “Back then children used to cook like their mothers, but now they drink like their fathers” said a grade 10 learner Moraka Dlamini. They mentioned that girls back then used to keep their virginity before marriage or for longer compared to the modern ones.
Here the group talked about initiation schools and marriages where different marriage rules are analysed and compared with other cultures. They gave an example of when a woman hasn’t been initiated will be regarded as a child by other woman who went to initiation schools.
During presentations learners were asked what they thought of heritage day. Thabo Nkgweng said “heritage day tells us about the important things that our ancestors and elders left for us to inherit”.
Throughout the day learners learned that Heritage day is not only celebrated in South Africa but throughout the world. Also they learned that heritage day reminds people where they came from and who they are.
The Ikamvanites teamed up with Science Spaza, for a hip-hop competition in celebration of National Science Week at the Bat Centre. A group of 40 Ikamvanites were selected to participate and show off their talents in preparing Hip-hop songs as they worked with Rooted Souls, Science spaza and Dr Sphamandla from UKZN Westville.
Ikamvanites learning about the formation of Crystals
Dr Sphamandla, as a science lecturer from UKZN, taught the learners about crystals, how they were formed as well as what you can possible use crystals for.. The learners were divided into 7 groups to prepare their songs. One of the Umlazi Groups had already prepared a song to sing at the Bat Center and performed it for the Science Spaza team. After these awesome performances, Rooted Souls ,and science spaza Team along with Dr Sphamandla were assisting the learners with their rhymes, grammar and if they were sticking to science for their performances on Saturday.
Learners Preparing thier songs
Ikamvanites performing thier song “Suffering Acids”
Just before lunch as the learners were still at it, IFANI, the SAMA award winning Hip Hop Artist walked in and the learners were over the moon excited. The learners then got an opportunity to sit down and ask him a couple of questions about where he comes from, his inspirations behind his music as well as what he studied. Ifani is not just a musician he is also a computer scientist, who worked as an engineer for 4years. His love for music started at a very young age and he is finally pursuing it.
Ifani Performing at the BAT Centre
The 7 groups were ready to dazzle the judges with their performances. The judges were Hillary from Science Spaza, Dr.Sphamandla and Ifani. The judges were looking for rhythm, energy and does your song get the message across about crystals. Parents, friends and fellow ikamvanites arrived to support the performing groups .
One of the competing groups performing
In the end we had a winner the ladies that called themselves the fourth Harmony from Chesterville Secondary in grade 11. The ladies received Science Spaza t-Shirts as well as Ifani’s latest Album. The event will be broadcast on Hectic NINE-9 during national science week from the 2nd of August till the 9th of August 2014
The whole event was a success IkamvaYouth is grateful for such an opportunity that Science Spaza provided for the Ikamvanites. We surely hope to work again with them soon.
Following the success of the matric camp in 2013, the WC team ran the second annual matric camp following directly on after the two weeks of winter school in July. This year saw 85 matrics from the Western Cape branches as well as from the Eastern Cape get together for a week getaway at the Rotary Glencairn camp site, for 5 days of intensive tutoring, academic workshops and exam practice.
The first day saw all the learners arriving at the site and participating energetic team-building exercises to help break the ice as learners started interacting more freely across the branches, working collectively to earn points for their various teams. True to ikamvanite culture, tutoring started in earnest from day one and the learners spent the rest of the afternoon working through past exam papers and Answer Series guides.
Throughout the camp learners have all managed to take part in a variety of activities aimed at preparing them for their final exams and tertiary studies. From intensive tutoring and exam practice to workshops around how to study effectively and evening self study times.
While the camp is a serious study boot camp, with tutoring happening from early in the morning until late into the night, the learners found the time to energise themselves through the terrible weather with an impromptu talent show where learners mixed things up between branches for an evening of singing, dancing, stand up comedy and drama. I’m convinced the next MC Solaar is in this group!
Sixolisiwe sibebosi , a volunteer said the following: ‘The matric camp was very productive to me. Firstly everything was well prepared, the kids were hungry to learn something and that gave me a lot of courage and it motivated me to make sure that I give all and make a change. IkamvaYouth changed my life and I also passed my matric because of IkamvaYouth and matric camp so it was a minor thing for me tor do, I wish I could do more.’
Bonke Sibunzana, a learner from Masi said the following, ‘what I liked about matric camp was how committed the tutors were. They encouraged us to use the tutoring time wisely. I also like how united we were as ikamvanites. We showed love and support for each other ‘, while Nobulali Swaartbooi from Nyanga said ‘Matric camp was a great experience. It was great learning with people from different schools and coming together with all our different ideas.’
This strongly echoes IY’s value of peer-to-peer sharing and IY is excited to witness the fruit of the Matric camp as the learners write their mock exams in September and final exams in November.
A very special thank you to Pick’n Pay Fish Hoek, for generously supplying camp catering, and ensuring that all our learners, volunteers and staff are well fed every day of the camp; Rotary for their beautiful camp sites and ERM for the donation of solar lamps for all our matric learners. This gives out learners going into their final exams the opportunity to study at home in the evenings, thanks ERM!
Good luck for the final exams IY 2014 Matric Class!
Lloyd Lungu