Go 15 September 2022

GO! & EXPRESS 15 September 2022 For all your advertising needs call Cheryl on 082 432 5665 or Sbonelo on 084 266 3445. Find us on Facebook 5
Skills training programme brings hope
New chance
for area’s youth
TAMMY FRAY
As youth unemployment
rises across the city, local
organisations such as
New Kwanda are trying to
mitigate the strain by providing
young job seekers with a sixmonth
development
programme intended to prepare
them for the job market.
Founded in 2017, New
Kwanda is a non-profit
organisation based in the
Pefferville area that services the
youth, elderly and the
vulnerable in the community.
The area is prey to social and
economic challenges such as
drug abuse and poverty.
Earlier this year, New
Kwanda was approached by
Small Projects Foundation (SPF)
with a proposal for seed funding
for a youth development
project. This sparked a network
of collaborations between New
Kwanda, SPF and other
roleplayers in the city,
culminating in six months’
worth of theoretical and
practical training in different
employment sectors intended to
develop young people into
competent employees.
The programme has 224
participants enrolled and they
are divided into groups
stationed at schools,
government departments,
crèches and businesses across
Buffalo City. The groups spend
four hours a day, four days a
week in these spaces.
In addition to their practical
experience, the participants
learn theoretical work taught by
the SPF that entails four
modules based on topics such
as entrepreneurship and mental
health, among others.
The participants have also
been enrolled for computer
literacy courses and have been
trained to conduct eye tests.
Programme participant
Zinnia Thannah said she had
enjoyed the programme and felt
fulfilled by the skills and
experience they had been
gaining.
She said as a result of the
programme, the youth in her
GO!PEOPLE METRO
UPSKILLING YOUTH: This group are among the 224 youths taking part in a programme
administered by New Kwanda NPO and Small Projects Foundation and aimed at empowering
young people in Pefferville, Cambridge location and Garcia Flats Picture: TAMMY FRAY
area had gained the respect of
older people in the community
and this had restored their
confidence as young people.
She is particularly impressed
by what she has learnt in the
early childhood development
sector, saying that in future she
envisions pursuing a career in
that direction.
According to another
participant, Dalihunga Ceke,
the programme enabled him to
learn more about emergency
medical services as the school
he is stationed at for his
practicals, Buffalo Flats Primary,
entered him into an emergency
response course which he
passed with full marks.
Principal at Buffalo Flats
Primary Raymond Lewis says he
has been impressed with the
commitment Ceke and other
participants have shown.
Lewis said they arrived at the
school diligently to serve their
hours, and since they started the
grounds have been well
maintained and the school’s
security and discipline have
improved. The school hopes to
work with more participants
from the programme in future.
Ward councillor for ward 4,
Lemarc Stewart, has also
collaborated with New Kwanda
by enrolling participants from
the Cambridge location area
and Garcia Flats into the
programme and one
participant, Vuyolwethu
Makhonza, said this had
enabled participants from this
area to become self-sufficient as
they earn a small stipend of
R1,400.
Founders of New Kwanda,
Mark Stewart and Nathan Miles
said that as a result of the
programme four participants
had since been offered
employment. They hope in
future to see more students
leave having secured a job.
Ad ve r to r i a l
New clear bag recycling project set for Duncan Village area
BONNIE CURRIN
Getting under way in Duncan
Village on September 16 will
be the pilot launch of a new
recycling campaign.
The will see the collection
of recyclable paper, glass,
Tetra Pack, metal and plastic,
separated in a clear bag, from
households and businesses, on
a weekly basis.
In conjunction with the
Buffalo City Municipality
Development Agency, Buffalo
City Municipality and DNF
Waste & Environmental
Services, the pilot project is set
to be launched in Duncan
Village, with the goal of
eventually including the
greater Buffalo City area.
The overall objective of the
project seeks to deepen the
waste management value
chain in Buffalo City.
The project is a subsidiary
of the government’s Good
Green Deeds Programme,
which is a positive drive
towards a clean SA that is free
of litter.
It is focused on educating
residents, business owners and
s c h o o l c h i l d re n on waste
management and
environmental issues, with the
ultimate goal being the
reduction of waste and the
creation of cleaner
communities, on an ongoing
basis. This while
simultaneously creating jobs,
in particular for women and
youth.
An objective will include
the establishment and support
of SMME development,
including entrepreneurial and
skills development.
As such, all households and
businesses in Duncan Village
which participate in this
programme of “Separation at
S o u rc e ”, will receive a clear
plastic bag, and a black plastic
bag, each week.
The clear bag will be for
recyclable waste, which the
waste pickers will collect every
Tuesday; and the black bag will
be for general waste, to be
collected by the municipality.
Last year, 15 waste pickers
from each of the five wards in
Duncan Village were selected
and trained for the purpose of
this recycling project.
Their wages are being
supplemented by rebates
earned through the
recyclables they collect and
sell to the buy-back centres
located in Duncan Village.
Here they sort the
recyclables into five
categories: paper, glass, Tetra
Pak, cans and plastic.
The buy-back centres
weigh the waste and provide
the waste pickers with e-
vouchers for the value, which
can be used at various shops
and outlets.
A symbolic start to the
building of Duncan Villages’
Buy-Back Centre, which will
operate as a recycling facility,
will be celebrated at a sodturning
ceremony planned for
September 16.
The keynote speaker will
be Buffalo City executive
mayor Xola Pakati.
This new centre will be
open to anyone from all
surrounding areas who would
like to contribute to the
recycling project.
An extensive marketing
campaign including road
shows are envisaged to create
awareness and educate
residents on the necessity and
environmental importance of
this much-needed project.
Please look out for these
messages shared across social
media, radio, newspapers,
billboards, and make sure your
friends, family, neighbours and
colleagues are aware of this
drive to recycle and clean up
their environment.