Year Beyond (YEBO) Social Innovation Challenge 2018

Year Beyond (YEBO) Social Innovation Challenge 2018: Finding solutions to one of our wicked problems

On Friday, 9 November 2018, 105 young people pitched their solutions to one of our wicked problems, the inability of more than three-quarters of our youth to read with comprehension.  They presented ideas of how we as a nation can build a culture of reading. Minister Anroux Marais who was one of the judges hailed the event as “inspiring and rewarding.”

The two winning ideas were Book Attack, a concept that uses a board game as tool to build reading skills and comprehension and Chatterlogues, a dialogue inspired intervention that generates engagement with reading through shared writing and plays for all members of the community.

This Challenge is the finale event in the Leadership Development Programme, a development opportunity for the volunteers who have given up a year of service to tutor underperforming primary and high school learners.

The programme is part of the Western Cape Government’s commitment to improving education and stemming the problem of learner drop-outs in the province, post matric learners and graduate volunteers with mathematics, technology and language skills were invited to give a year of their time

The volunteers were divided into teams and each group had the opportunity to present their progress to a distinguished panel of judges. Minister Marais’ co-judges were Africa Melane, Cape Talk Radio presenter, Lorenzo Davids, CEO Community Chest Western Cape, Polisa Magqibelo, Senior Manager, SABS and Dr. Leslie Van Rooi, Senior Director: Social Impact and Transformation, Stellenbosch University.

The Competition was tight as each group interrogated the problem statement and presented creative ideas to create a reading culture. Ideas ranged from technology based interventions to simple techniques to engage youth and families in reading.

The winning teams tied, each winning a contribution to academic registration or a skills development programme and a unique Cape Town Experience. 

In addition, to this The After School Game Changer in partnership with Community Chest through the ASGC Innovation fund will support both teams to take the ideas to pilot phase.

Finally, Raees Nohaba, a 2018 volunteer, was identified as an outstanding individual dedicated to improving his community and South Africa, awarding him a Siyakhubona Award.  This award, “We see you award” by Community Chest will go toward the completion of his studies at UCT, and he will be financed for the next two years through this initiative.