IkamvaYouth is a by-youth, for-youth community-based non-profit organisation that drives social change in South Africa by enabling disadvantaged youth to access post-school opportunities in tertiary education and job-based training.

We are based at the Nazeema Isaacs library in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, and the Nyanga library, as well as Mayville Secondary School in Cato Manor in Kwa-Zulu Natal. We work with learners in grades 10 to 12.

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 from various tertiary institutions in the Western Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal provinces, unemployed graduates, and young professionals working in NGOs, government and the private sector. Forty to fifty percent of our current volunteer base comprises ex-learners. This, together with our high success rate, is a striking indicator that our work is highly valued by our beneficiaries.

IkamvaYouth has a great vision: we have shown that positive change is possible with very little resources and a lot of passion, and believe that our model is replicable across South Africa. We provide a cost-effective solution to some of South Africa’s biggest problems: the low skills base, unemployment, lack of black professionals, brain drain, poverty and youth turning to crime. So if you want to get involved, please drop an email to info@ikamvayouth.org.

IkamvaYouth believes in publicly declaring its financial position to ensure accountability and transparency. Our financial statements are available here for download. If you have any comments/queries, please contact Luyanda.

For more information about the organisational's legal framework please consult our constitution. For further financial information please consult our financials page. If you have any comments or queries please contact Luyanda (W.Cape) or Julia (KZN).

For a better understanding of who we are, and what we do, please read our latest annual report.

The 2003 - 2006 Progress Report also makes for inspiring reading, and provides some background about how we've grown.  

Ikamvanites, you can access our intranet here.