Ikamva LeAfrika Education Foundation (ILAEF) is an inspiring organisation that is aiming to transform South Africa´s education system. Amanda Charles, a 24-year-old black woman, founded the organisation in May 2015, together with five other South African youth. Youth in rural South Africa are future idea-generators, but they need support. ILAEF is doing just that by helping to improve their literacy, with focus on the Sciences.
The Problem
Amanda Charles. Founder
Any South African will know there is a great disadvantage for learners in lower-income communities. ILAEF describes this problem well by stating, ¨the education system does not produce equally literate learners across the system, and success is dependent on the specific school that a learner attends.¨ It furthermore expresses that education has become commodified when in reality, it should be a basic human right. Think about how excelling in school is related to attending an expensive school, spending money on tutors and extra classes, having decent infrastructure and adequate resource for education. Township and rural schools have very little access to any of those.
ILAEF Solution
ILAEF is trying to change that, at least for Science Education. It describes its missions as focusing on ¨the development and improvement of academic literacy in the English language in school going girls in rural and township schools, as an effort to improve academic performance in the Sciences as a whole.¨ They run literacy audits through their IKAMVA READ4RESULTS programmes which helps young learners understand the English language for their academics.
the education system does not produce equally literate learners
The organisation targets girls because of a higher dropout rate due to the teenage pregnancy rates, and other gender-related factors. It hopes that their matric results can be improved. Moreover, the programme teaches computer skills so learners can cope easier at a university.
Ikamva LeAfrika means “the future of Africa” in IsiXhosa. ILEAF is starting to build a better learner and so, a better South Africa.
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