Empower youth through education in S.A

Towards the end of April we saw some of our alumni graduating from their various institutions of study. It is with pride that they can take on the next chapter of their lives and create better lives for themselves. This graduation season happens to coincide with the release of our Grade 12 placement results, these are the post school opportunities that the learners who finished high school in December 2015 secured this year with the support of IkamvaYouth. 

We are excited to announce that 90% of the learners that completed high school in 2015 have been placed in either tertiary studies, learnerships or employment. 56% of the learners who passed are now pursuing tertiary studies in a variety of fields. In South Africa there are large anomalies in the number of black learners who select Mathematics and Science in school, which in turn means that there are fewer black professionals in careers where those subjects are prerequisites such as engineering. Which is why it is impressive that 25% of Ikamvanites who are in tertiary are pursuing studies in the field of science and engineering, with a further 19% enrolled in the field of commercial studies. Other fields that learners have enrolled in include psychology, law, health sciences and media related studies.

One of the challenges that learners face after completing matric is accessing funding for their studies. For 2016, 57% of the learners were able to secure funding in the form of scholarships, bursaries or study loans. Chumisa who achieved 6 distinctions at the end of high school went on to receive a bursary to study towards a BSc in Geology from the University of Cape Town. There were also 6 learners who were awarded the Moshal Scholarship giving them the opportunity to pursue a range of studies such as accounting, geology and computer science. Palesa is one of the learners who received a bursary, she had this to say: “IkamvaYouth has taught me the reward of focus and preparation especially when it comes to post matric preparation. Honestly without IkamvaYouth I would not have been heading into the bright future I am heading into today “ She is going to Stellenbosch University, and her parents do not have to pay for her fees.

Just over 51% of youth aged 20 - 24 years old in South Africa are NEET (not in employment, education or training), it is therefore vital that we are able to place as many of our learners as possible, allowing them the chance to create better lives for themselves. We thank you for your continued support which translates into access to information and opportunities for many learners who would otherwise continue to live with the injustice of poverty.

We look forward to the many more exciting moments this year, including the opening of our 14th branch! If you would like to get involved or find out more about what we do, please contact Hetile (hetile@ikamvayouth.org)

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