Comments from IkamvaYouth learners about their experience in the programme:

"Ikamva is a collection of hearts, ready to give, share and understand. It will never fade. It only reminds us that life is imperfect without others. Thanks for everything."
Fezeka Madonono, Grade 12 (2006)

"I wanted to say Thank-you for giving me a chance to experience life beyond the norm. I have enjoyed working with you or rather listing to you giving us advice. You have built a place I can call my second home, Ikamva is part of my life and will always be in my thoughts."
Mdumiseni Kahle, Grade 12 (2006)

"You have change the saying that say (Imfundo iyalibazisa) which means education is the waste of time. You’ve came with a formula to factorise our problems and the solution was to give us the potential and the ability to show others that we, even if we are BLACK we can make it to the university field of study. Coming with this organisation called ‘IKAMVA’ you did not only change our minds of saying ‘the solution in this kind of life we are living is to pass grade 12 and that’s it we work hard for the rest of our lives. You have shown so many people out there that now everything has changed, we are not living in the olden days where blacks were oppressed not saying the fact that you also change our parent’s minds of looking with a blind eye when it comes to EDUCATION. Words can not express how I feel but we thank you for every thing you’ve done."
Sithembile Mhlauli, Grade 12 (2005) and currently active volunteer

Comments from partners that we have worked with on various projects:

“Through their outstanding work in improving education and overall wellbeing of the youth in South Africa and in particular through their E-literacy Development Program at the Nazeema Isaacs Library in Kayalitsha; IkamvaYouth has risen to one of the most extraordinary and well loved youth organizations in South Africa today. Some of the greatest strengths that IkamvaYouth brings to this impoverished and deprived community is the example that through perseverance, commitment and enthusiasm anything is possible.”
Werner du Plessis, Business Development Manager, VIA technologies, Taiwan.

“[IkamvaYouth] has demonstrated how a small, volunteer-driven, community-based project can succeed, where many well-funded and ambitious initiatives fail. IkamvaYouth's approach is simple and pragmatic. It listens to the needs of its members and tries to address them; it is participatory in that there is no division between those who help and those who get help; it is creative in its use of (the very limited) resources available to it; and it strives on a common spirit of sharing. In a country like South Africa, characterized by vast divides -- racial, educational, economic to name but a few -- it is an inspiring example of how overcoming differences and reaching out can indeed create great positive change. For me, IkamvaYouth's greatest achievement is not the demonstrated improvement in high-school grades, which makes its learners eligible for higher education bursaries. It is rather the sense of confidence that it instills and which enables these young South Africans to seize opportunities they did not even know existed.”
Jan Philipp Schmidt, Researcher, United Nations University – Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology.

“IkamvaYouth uses the minimum amount of monetary resources, rather making excellent use of non-monetary contributions by the community at large as well as innovative, cost effective ICT solutions. This contributes greatly to ensuring the sustainability and replicability of this initiative, as ownership is shared by the community and the participants. It is due to this approach that the community surrounding the Nazeema Isaacs Library in Khayalitsha (a poor township area outside Cape Town) not only has access to a computer lab but also to the technical and life skills needed to effectively use ICT to continuously empower themselves. Many of the youths that have benefited from the programme have returned as volunteers, a clear indication of the increased capacity, lasting change and passion for the betterment of their community that the programme has instilled in them. Through this ‘pay it forward’ approach, Ikamva has not only sustained itself, but has grown way beyond the initial initiative. Ikamva facilitates the empowerment of the South African youth by the South African youth and they do so with great passion and sustained success.” Riaan Bredenkamp, Ikululeku Technologies.

Quotes to inspire us:

“One of the tasks of the progressive educator, through a serious, correct political analysis, is to unveil opportunities for hope, no matter what the obstacles may be". Paulo Freire, in "Pedagogy of Hope", 1992