It’s official! IkamvaYouth will be opening its doors in Atlantis in June 2016, thanks to the support of GreenCape. The branch will be located at Proteus Secondary School, which lies in the centre of the small Western Cape town. GreenCape ‘s involvement in Atlantis is part of the Atlantis Greentech special economic zone which is an initiative by the Western Cape government to drive industrial and economic development in the area.

Preparation has begun for the new Atlantis branch, which has included the recruitment of the Atlantis Branch Coordinator, Yanga Toyti. Yanga has been part of IY since 2014, working in Makhaza at IY’s largest branch and is currently completing a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics through UNISA.
Yanga is looking forward to interacting with the youth in Atlantis to see how much impact can be made together. According to Yanga, “It will be an interesting time and I can’t wait! IkamvaYouth is all about overcoming the odds. There is no such thing as a hopeless situation, there is always a way. We believe in the power of education to change a person, a community and the entire nation!”

IY at Atlantis Career Expo:

On Saturday 23 April, Yanga and Simone (our Western Cape District Manager) attended a Career Expo at the Atlantis Public Library organized by Educo Africa. IY had the opportunity to announce the launch of our new branch, and engage with learners and other members of the local community. The event was facilitated by Marilee van der Merwe, a student from Atlantis currently completing a degree in Financial Accounting from UWC. Her passion for youth development and empowerment was palpable, and inspired all in attendance. It is greatly encouraging to engage with members of the community who are so motivated to inspire change.

Thanks to Educo Africa for organizing the event, and to Marilee for her energy and enthusiasm. We look forward to joining the Atlantis community soon.