Vision
Ikam Valethu a Non Profit Company; shall contribute to the sustainable livelihoods of children and youth through initiatives that stimulate collaboration, cooperation and coordination of the social, human and capital resources of likeminded stakeholders
Mission
It is the mission of Ikam Valethu-
- To be a regional resource and link to stakeholders interested in the sustainable livelihoods of children and youth of the Southern Cape;
- To promote and/ or initiate opportunities for collaboration among stakeholders interested in sustainable livelihoods of children and youth of the Southern Cape;
- To provide and/ or source resources that strategically, organisationally and operationally strengthen likeminded organisations
Strategy
Ikam Valethu positions itself amongst stakeholders who are active in mitigating the socioeconomic crisis that besets communities of the Southern Cape as a value adding resource who is effective and efficient at getting the job done.
Therefore, it strategically is involved with:
The coordination and development of knowledge and information relevant to its vision and community;
Programs that stimulates Coordination, Collaboration and Cooperation among likeminded stakeholders;
- Perusing strategic engagements with likeminded stakeholders
- Actively seeking funding for its programs;
- Economic livelihood initiatives that benefit its stakeholders;
- Relief initiatives that respond to the plight of children and youth.
Program
The following key areas have been identified by its founding members as focus areas for its inception programs. The activities of Ikam Valethu will include, but not be limited to those described below.
Nutrition
The socioeconomic profile of the Eden district identified that children are negatively affected by the lack of adequate nutrition.
The ECD members of Ikam Valethu have as a cornerstone of their services, providing basic nutrition. They have repeatedly stated that what they able to fund is not adequate. Therefore, providing a comprehensive nutrition program, which goes beyond just ensuring that the child has a full belly through bread and porridge, is considered central.
The nutrition a child receives affects the overall wellbeing of the child, enhancing their ability to function optimally both in learning and growing.
Education
The socioeconomic profile of the Eden district report is upbeat about the ability of the region’s economy to absorb young professionals.
The NDP has set the income target for individuals in the district to be R 110 000 per annum by 2030 some 13 years away. Currently, 55% of the households had an income below R 50 000 per annum. Education is going to have to be the game changer, if any we are to get close to these outcomes. Ikam Valethu believes that establishing quality ECD education programs are central to ensuring that children have the needed foundation to acquire the education that is required in a changing world.
The educational resources that are prioritised is procuring of contemporary teaching tools, recruiting appropriately qualified teachers and introducing English as a second language into the education program.
Infrastructure
The ECD centres have inadequate infrastructure, many must make do with inadequate classroom space, inadequate ablution facilities and poorly secured premises. The physical environment has a significant impact on the ability to deliver an adequate learning program.
The infrastructure must be improved to enable the ECD centre to move beyond a crèche to a learning centre.
Motivation (Community Need)
The Eden District Municipality in their 2016 Socio Economic profile was upbeat about the prospects for young professionals to be absorbed into the local labour market.
They are expecting a higher dependency ratio that will peak around 50.3 by 2023. This will place greater strain on the working age to support economic dependents.Translating in increased economic hardship and inequality as the working population struggle to meet the needs of their dependents. The high dependency ratio will continue to put increasing strain on the social net resources of the various municipalities within the region.
The literacy rate for Eden is about 83% percent which is above the National average, but below the average of the Western Province. The grade 12 drop-out rate from learners enrolled in grade 10 is about 32%, mainly due to 78% of the schools in the region being non-fee schools. The elusive figure for the region is the drop-out rate from grade 1 enrolments. This number is central to understanding the long-term dependency ratio.
The region is lagging the provincial averages with immunisation coverage pegged at 84%, malnutrition at 7% with 16% of children being underweight. About 7% of births in the region are to teenage mothers.
This is indicative of the strain the working population experience to provide for economic dependents. Children born to teenage mothers are said to experience a particularly tough life, especially if they young parents do not have family and social support.
In 2016, it was estimated that 40% of the Eden regions population are below the poverty line, that is an income below R320 per month.
The number of households earning under R 50 000 per annum is around 55%, with 13% of them having no income at all.
To achieve the National Development Plan’s (NDP) income target of R 110 000 per person, per annum, will require an intensified local economic growth plan, that will necessitate a coordinated collaboration between the business and government sectors.
The region as a workforce of 224 149 people, with the majority about 32% active in the informal sector and 22% employed as low skilled workers.
Only 18% of the labour force are in skilled employment with 30% in semi-skilled employment.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing contributes 6.2% to the Regions GDP, Manufacturing 13.7%, Construction 5%, Commercial Services 56.5% and Government, Community, Social and Personal Services 16.2%. Commercial services which makes the largest contribution to the regions GDP comprises wholesale & retail trade, catering & accommodation, transport, storage & communication and finance, insurance, real estate & business services. It is within this socioeconomic landscape that Ikam Valethu Our Future strives to make a sustainable difference in the lives of children and youth.
Target Community
The primary client of Ikam Valethu is the stakeholder rendering services to children and youth, rather than the beneficiary of such services.
The target groups are not limited to those broadly described as social welfare organisations but will include any organisation of persons that Ikam Valethu determines can add value to its vision of sustainable livelihoods for children and youth.