1 of 2
The IkamvaYouth branch at Zolani centre in Nyanga, a poor and marginalised township in Cape Town
2 of 2
Training at the IkamvaYouth branch at Zolani centre in Nyanga
More people are affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa than any other country in the world.
85,000 are affected with HIV/AIDS in the UK, but UN figures reveal almost 6 million are affected in South Africa. 28% of those are school-aged girls.
This year the Stars Foundation Africa Impact Award Winner for Education has been awarded to IkamvaYouth of South Africa.
IkamvaYouth’s HIV programme tackles HIV and AIDS in townships through awareness sessions, testing and counselling - empowering young people to take responsibility for their own health and protection.
Started by two young researchers in 2003, IkamvaYouth has evolved into a country wide network drawing on local university students and IkamvaYouth alumni to act as educators, mentors and role models.
IkamvaYouth aims to provide a support group for young people affected or infected by HIV or AIDS. If HIV-positive, they learn how to manage the disease. If HIV-negative, they learn how to protect themselves from future HIV infection.
Endorsed by Stellenbosch University, Ikamva Youth also provides tutoring in both academic subjects and life skills to empower disadvantaged youth to escape poverty and create fulfilling futures.
This is particularly significant given that 1.3 million learners start school each year in South Africa but less than half reach matriculation (high school graduation).
But success is evident at Ikamva Youth. Regardless of HIV status - matriculation results have far-exceeded national averages annually since 2005.
Last year, volunteers provided the equivalent of more than three million rand in HIV programming, tutoring, career guidance mentoring, computer literacy training and workshop facilitation to over 700 young people.
Ikamva Youth now aims to enhance and expand services to more townships across South Africa. Provisional plans for the Impact Award include identifying organisations to replicate the Ikamva model, set up programmes in rural areas and target children of primary school age.
Founded in 2001, the Stars Foundation is a philanthropic foundation that invests in organisations and ideas to help transform the lives of disadvantaged children and their communities globally.
Its flagship programme, the annual Stars Impact Awards, recognises and rewards outstanding local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) working to improve the wellbeing and life chances of children in the countries with the highest rates of under-five mortality.
Stars believes local organisations are best placed to respond to the needs of children in their care, and that effective, well-managed NGOs should be able to decide how to spend the funding they receive. This is reflected in the Awards package where winners are provided US$100,000 in unrestricted funding, up to US$20,000 in consultancy services and media training and PR opportunities.
The Impact Awards are underpinned by a rigorous selection process developed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Recipients are selected using criteria that reflect the hallmarks of effective practice.
In 2013, Awards have been given out in four categories (Health, Education, Protection and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) across two geographic regions (Africa-Middle East & Asia-Pacific). Smaller awards are made at the discretion of the Stars Board of Trustees. From 2014, the Impact Awards are open to eligible NGOs in Latin America-Caribbean.
* Further information is available at: www.starsfoundation.org.uk