IkamvaYouth Project

The IkamvaYouth Project is a very successful supplementary education project providing a highly effective community driven response to the crisis currently experienced in school education by the majority of our learners.The results obtained since it came into existence are significantly higher than the national average with regard to both matric pass rates and entry into tertiary education institutions. It achieves impressive results through a programme of supplementary tutoring, career guidance, mentoring, e-literacy training, HIV education, a Winter School, and creative expression and life skills programmes.

Supplementary Tutoring

Supplementary tutoring enables learners to improve their grades. Career guidance broadens learners' awareness of post-school opportunities. Mentoring ensures that learners access these opportunities. Computer literacy and access equips learners with essential skills and information. The Media, Image and Expression Programme affords opportunities for learners to express themselves creatively and assertively and build their self-esteem. HIV/AIDS awareness and voluntary testing provides learners with the information and VCT services they need to manage their health. By participating in these programmes in the afternoons after school, on Saturday mornings and during the school holidays, students at Ikamva are empowered to take their futures into their own hands. The programme currently serves between 100 -150 learners.

The needs are far greater in our current areas, as well as in new areas we wish to expand to, however, and SEF is currently seeking further support from companies in the Midrand area for its work. The advantage of supporting SEF’s work for companies is the opportunity to add to meeting their social objectives, to further raise their CSI and BBBEE profiles in the marketplace, and make a contribution to the development of our future workforce and our country.

Siyakhula Computer School

The majority of students attending courses at SEF’s computer training centres are from surrounding disadvantaged communities and most are accessing computers for the first time. Usually the student’s home language is not English and their skill-set is rudimentary. The computer school uses courseware developed by the Shuttleworth Foundation that is context specific and geared for low-income first time computer users. Currently, the training centres offer three quality end-user courses cover an introduction to computers up to the intermediate level in word processing skills, spreadsheet skills, presentation skills, email and internet. LGIT Smart Solutions, a corporate IT training provider and acrredited ISSET-SETA and Gold-certified Microsoft partner conduct regular assessments on the computer school’s students and course content. LGIT also pick up the best performing students each quarter on more advanced IT training courses.

The fulltime course is a 2 week course as our experience is that this amount of time is necessary for a decent uptake and understanding from students. Since the majority of Siyakhula’s students are first-time users of computers and just entering the job-market or at the lower end of the employment skills pool part of the course focuses on helping the student identify and begin to implement a plan for further study, entrepreneurial, learnership and/or employment opportunities. Coursework thus includes practical tasks such as writing a CV, drafting cover letters, or researching study/job and bursary opportunities on the internet. Siyakhula limits the number of students per course to 12 individuals in order to maintain an optimal student/trainer ratio and ensure a high quality learning environment.

Beginners Course:

• Content: Introduction to computers, mouse and keyboard skills

• Introduction to basic ICT theory, hardware and software

• Introduction to computer operating systems

• Introduction to Word-processor

• Introduction to Spreadsheet applications

• Introduction to email

• Introduction to the internet

Intermediate Course

• Content: Intermediate Word processor skills (tables, diagrams, borders)

• Intermediate Spreadsheet skills (formulas, charts, calculations)

• Intermediate internet skills

Powerpoint Course:

• Content: Introduction to PowerPoint

• Introduction to digital photography

• Presentation skills

Course Fees:

The market value of courses is anywhere between R1500-R2000. Siyakhula is currently charging R300 per course.

Programme Awards and Recognition

Both IkamaYouth and Siyakhula Computer School have been nominated for and secured awards and public recognition for the work they have done:  

• The Siyakhula Computer School has been identified as an example of an emerging social enterprise and delegates attending the upcoming Social Enterprise World Forum to be held at University of Johannesburg in April 2011 will be visiting the school during their conference to learn more

• IkamvaYouth is a finalist of the 2010 Drivers of Change Awards in the Civil Society Category of the Southern Africa Trust

• IkamvaYouth was selected in 2009 as a finalist in the Ashoka  Change makers "Champions of Quality Education in Africa" award sponsored by Ashoka and the Hewlett Foundation

• Ikhama Youth received a special commendation from the International Youth Foundation as 1 of 20 Social Entrepreneurial projects from around the world worthy of mention in January 2009

• Ikamva Youth was chosen as winner of the Youth ActionNet Fellowship Award in 2008

• The two community members running the Ebony Park computer training centre are candidates for the 2010 Jet Community.Business Women of the Year Awards

Contact Details:

Andrew Barrett: Programmes Director

• Tel: 082 903 5979

• Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jan Beeton (Ms): Resource Development Manager

• Tel: 083 253 9384 Landline: 011 791 3873

• Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Physical Address: 49 Boshoff Road, President Park, 1685

Postal address:    PO Box 5534, Halfway House, 1685

Web: www.wearegrowing.org

         www.ikamvayouth.org (IKamvaYouth Project)