Alumni

The Alumni continue to play an important role in the upliftment of their alma maters. Although our inaugural alumni dinner in early 2009 was a success, limited follow-up has taken place and although an outside consultancy was employed to drive this process, the desired results were not achieved. The engagement of this consultancy was terminated in December 2010.

We are indeed heartened that some of the alumni associations have continued to organise events on their own. In this regard Inkamana High School hosted a Homecoming event. The objective of the Homecoming was to strengthen the ties between the alumni and to support the school. Their vision is to establish an educational trust with continued involvement from alumni and corporate business in order to maintain the excellent education for the children in the area.

Although I was unable to attend in person, I was able to address the audience from a distance, thanks to modern technology. I took the opportunity to outline the aims of the HSRP and encouraged the alumni to get involved in their alma mater.

Alumnus Mr Peter-Paul Ngwenya, the keynote speaker, shared how his experience at Inkamana had given him the life skills to cope in prison on Robben Island and later in life as a businessman. He encouraged the present students to embrace their education and to take up challenges with self-discipline and enthusiasm. The alumni surprised the school with donations of soccer and netball attire as well as a DVD player. Mrs Isabel Steenkamp, Principal of Inkamana, summed up this successful event:

“The Inkamana Alumni Homecoming during March highlighted the amazing success the former students experience in their different careers. The values instilled, life skills and leadership development, together with a real interest in the world we live in as well as a passion to make a positive difference, often play a more important role than academic matters. We are looking forward to the alumni’s input to the school during 2011.”

Inkamana alumnus Peter-Paul Ngwenya was the keynote speaker at the Inkamana Alumni Homecoming event.

Dr Constance Simelane (far left) and Thuthukile Mashaba at the Inkamana Homecoming event.

A follow-up report revealed that the alumni are currently running a challenge to get 1,000 alumni to give monthly donations of a minimum of R100 towards the school projects. Further donations that have been realised as a result of the Homecoming event are:

• A computer laboratory of 200 computers including accessories
• 2 pianos
• Equipment and accessories for the Junior School science laboratory.