Zukile Kheswa started attending Ikamva when he was doing grade 11, the year Ikamva Youth was officially registered. Ever since then he has been a part of Ikamva Youth. He joined this organization because he needed help with his studies and needed to improve his results in order to become eligible to access tertiary education. He attended Manyano High School in Khayelitsha. At that time he was in Grade 11 and he knew that he needed help to improve his results, but he didn’t have money for extra class. After joining Ikamva Youth his results improved. At the end of 2004 he was the best accounting learner.

In 2005 he came back to Ikamva Youth as grade 12 learner and continued working on his results. 2005 was the hardest year for him  .Going to tertiary was never an option for him as his family could not afford the tuition. Ikamva Youth provided tutors with the pack of information about tuition, loan and bursaries. They even helped tutors with application money, and even though it was an unpopular decision in his community, he chose to go to school because he wanted to become a role model.

As we all know that it’s not easy to grow up in a township. You face many adversities. He matriculated in 2005 as a Dux Scholar top achiever student at Manyano High School. He was the overall top student in the following subjects: mathematics, accounting, business and economics.

Zukile applied to study at UWC in 2005 but due to financial restraints he could not produce the registration fee upfront. However due to his determination and persistence he was later accepted without having to pay the fee upfront.

In that year, two other Ikamva youths had matriculated and had also been accepted at UWC. They also could not afford the tuition. But a lady (Joy) from Ikamva helped them financially.She Joy hustled and helped them to pay fees. The same year he realize that giving back to community was one of things kept him motivated and working hard in life. He became a tutor at Ikamva Youth, and tutored accounting, and economics and business. He was also involved in the branch committee.

He remained a committed volunteer at Ikamva Youth and also served as the head of the career guidance. While he was studying he managed to work as a  part-time senior computer lab assistance at the UWC’s SRC winter classes held in 2009 and 2010.

 He graduated with BCom information degree from UWC. In March 2011 he was the first employee through the tutoring programme,he worked as a branch assistance at Ikamva Youth in Makhaza.

He says working with learners is very interesting and challenging at the same time. ”One of this that helps me to do well in my job is that I have an experience as a leaner and tutor,this helps me to relate well with people”

words by: Anela Pakade