Mary Waters matriculant Vuyolwethu Zumani, from Joza Location was thrilled to hear that he is one of the top-achieving learners in the Sarah Baartman district.
Mary Waters matriculant Vuyolwethu Zumani, from Joza Location was thrilled to hear that he is one of the top-achieving learners in the Sarah Baartman district.
Described by his mentors at Ikamva Youth as goal-driven, inquisitive and very persistent, he achieved a Bachelor pass with five distinctions – in Maths, Physical Sciences, Geography, Life Orientation and Life Sciences.
Zumani has strong Christian values which he strives to practice in everything he does.
He lives with his mother, cousin, niece and uncle. No one in the family is employed and they rely on the support of his sister, who works out of town.
Zumani, joined Ikamva Youth (IY) in 2015, when he was in Grade 11.
“I wasn’t really planning on joining IY but from what I heard from my friends, the programme sounded attractive,” Zumani said.
He says he has benefited a lot from the interactions he has had through the programme and through being able to tutor and support other learners.
He is grateful for the resources provided to him.
The programme has also allowed him to visit places he would not have otherwise been able to afford.
Vuyolwethu has been accepted to study towards a Bachelor of Sciences Degree at Rhodes University. He will major in Maths and Statistics.
“I am very passionate about Maths and Science and I am looking forward to exploring more in those fields,” he said.
Being from Grahamstown, he has been looking forward to studying at Rhodes, seeing it as a close-knit environment.
Zumani’s advice for this year's matrics?
“Sacrifice is key because there’s a lot of distractions that will be happening during the year. You need to stay focused and stick to your books.”
Zumani’s challenges have included a shortage of teachers for critical subjects at his school – a reality for most schools in the Eastern Cape. Disruptive behaviour from his peers, such as learners bunking classes, substance abuse and being involved in criminal activities also made things difficult.
The situation at home also made it difficult to study. The noise levels as well as the family’s unstable financial situation meant he walked 10km to and from school every day.
• Nompumezo Makinana is the Joza branch co-ordinator for Ikamva Youth
