About IkamvaYouth

IkamvaYouth is a by-youth, for-youth non-profit organisation that enables South African youth to get themselves out of poverty and into university or employment.

We provide after-school academic support, mentoring, computer classes, HIV awareness workshops, testing and counselling and extra-curricular activities to learners in grades 9 to 12. We work with the same committed learners throughout their final years in secondary school to ensure that they access post-school opportunities.

IkamvaYouth’s innovative model leverages the power of peer-to-peer learning and mentoring, volunteerism and cross-sector partnerships to redress inequality and transform South Africa.

We are based in three provinces:

In the Western Cape:

We are based at the Nazeema Isaacs library in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, and the Nyanga library. We are currently establishing a new branch at the Masiphumelele library.

In Kwa Zulu Natal:

We are based at the Mayville Secondary School in Cato Manor.

In Gauteng:

We are based at the Siyakhula centre in Ebony Park.

The project is driven completely by the commitment, enthusiasm and creativity of the ikamvanites (volunteers and learners). Our volunteers are a diverse and amazing bunch: students, graduates and lecturers from various tertiary institutions across the country and professionals working in NGOs, government and the private sector. We are also often joined by international interns from around the world. IkamvaYouth’s programmes have tangible, measurable, amazing results. Since 2005, the matric pass rate has never dropped below 90% (for two successive years it was 100%), and between 41 and 71% of each matric year has accessed tertiary education. This success rate is especially impressive considering that less than 10% of South Africa’s youth access higher education (SAIRR).  However, the most striking indication of the value of the organization’s work is that 40-50% of the organization’s current volunteer base and 70% of the management committee in the Western Cape comprises ex-learners.

http://www.ikamvayouth.org/