Internships offer unemployed youth a terrific chance to expand their horizons. With youth unemployment at an all time high, we’re glad to be part of the solution. This Youth Month we’re excited to announce that our new YES4Youth sponsor is Refinex. Previously, our monthly round up was called “Tutors tell it like it is” as all interns were working as mathematics tutors in under-resourced foundation phase classrooms. Now we have a few interns working in other areas of our organisation, like administration and software engineering. Hence the new title “Interns tell it like it is”. WhatsApp groups offer assistance Yonela Mdodana (32) was stressed and out of work when she heard that YES4Youth was looking for tutors to implement the NumberSense programme at No-Holland Junior Secondary School. She had some IT studies behind her and hoped she was up to the challenge. Soon, Yonela was accepted onto the programme, and now finds herself tutoring at […]
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Nobantu Mshumpela: Finding the beauty of maths
On Youth Day it’s fitting to celebrate Nobantu Mshumpela, one of our own team members! This determined young woman started as a tutor on the JumpStart programme, and has since completed and expanded her qualifications to meet her new career challenges. Nobantu is a co-ordinator of the JumpStart Foundation’s Ekurhuleni South programme who has successfully transitioned from being a tutor into the world of meaningful work. She grew up in a large family in Katlehong, where education was highly valued. Her career journey started with studies in beauty therapy, but in 2017 as a JumpStart intern, she discovered how sharing the beauty of maths gave life a different kind of joy. Falling in love with maths In Grade 3 at Monde Primary our principal, Mrs Mbambela, was very passionate about mathematics. She introduced the exciting Maths 24 game, which was lots of fun. Four numbers were shown on flash cards and we had to arrive […]
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Ditiro Madiseng: Maths should be fun and fearless!
Last month we focused on Betty Oliphant, the first JumpStart staff member to be employed, back in 2011. She shared her recollections of the early days when she helped out as a receptionist in the JumpCO office. In those days, JumpStart was a tiny organisation and its founder was a solo pilot. The organisation has grown substantially over the years and so has the staff complement. The newest addition to the team, Ditiro Madiseng, was appointed in February as an Executive Assistant, helping the General Manager, Callen Hodgskiss, and Steve Mahony, our CEO. Ditiro talked about the formative elements that helped her become the woman she is now. From fine to fearful to fun! My first encounter with maths in primary school went well enough. I was an A or B+ student, but when I got to high school people seemed doubtful about my capacity to study maths and science. Unfortunately I believed this and […]
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YES4YOUTH – Tutors tell it like it is – May 2022
Our YES4YOUTH tutors impact many young lives inside and outside the classroom. Every month we hear from beneficiaries of this partnership, many of whom have already secured qualifications. This month we have five stories from tutors who are equipping the next generation of South African mathematicians. We’re proud of our tutors who go the extra mile to facilitate the best learning environments for their learners. Partnerships with South African corporates enable unemployed youth to gain valuable experience and improve mathematics outcomes in under-resourced classrooms. Read similar stories in our February, March, and April round ups. Waking up joyful, looking forward to work Lutho Mlamla (26) is a tutor at Mboya Primary School, and is sponsored by KSB. She is a qualified teacher who graduated with a B. Ed in FET Phase from Walter Sisulu University. Her specialisation is Economic & Management Sciences, Accounting and Business Studies. I am currently in the most conducive working place […]
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Betty Oliphant’s 10 years with JumpStart
In every organisation there are unsung heroes behind the scenes. At JumpStart that person is Betty Oliphant, our office administrator. She is the person who plans, organises, orders, checks and double checks to ensure smooth running of our events and processes. In March this year at our annual strategy planning session, Betty received a long service award for ten years of loyal service. She was the very first staff member appointed to JumpStart, and her inspiring story this month includes her recollections of the project’s early days. Behind the scenes Betty is a force to be reckoned with, enabling JumpStart to honour the promises we make to our partners. With her involvement we are able to provide the training and support that promotes maths education in under-resourced foundation phase classrooms around the country. It follows that a good grasp of mathematics keeps the books balanced so that we can show funders how their money has […]
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