The National Development Agency (NDA) has vowed to support civic organisations such as Mfesane to contribute towards poverty eradication.
NDA is a government agency tasked with empowering and enhancing the capacity of the civil society sector to build more cohesive communities and tackle poverty, unemployment and inequality.
The agency recently partnered with Mfesane, a non-profit company (NPC) operating and empowering unemployed people in the townships, to equip 10 people with sewing skills.
During a graduation ceremony at Mfesane in Greenpoint, Khayelitsha, on Wednesday 5 October, Sasan Khumalo, chief operations officer for the agency, promised more support.
Against the backdrop of escalating youth unemployment and skills shortages in the country, an ongoing job creation grant-funding partnership between Mfesane and the NDA delivered 10 businesses run by youths in Khayelitsha.
Last year, 10 entrepreneurs graduated from the programme to formalise and begin operating their businesses in the beauty and hair industry in the West Coast.
This year, it introduced more sectors including woodwork, sewing and photography.
Khumalo emphasised that they were established to contribute towards poverty “eradication” not alleviate it. She said their support for civic organisations was to stick to their founding pillars.
“One of the development interventions that we provide to civic organisations like Mfesane is to provide grants. So that they are able to implement the committee development initiatives just like Mfesane is doing,” she said.
The 10 entrepreneurs completed a six month full-time entrepreneurial course.
They will receive complimentary start-up kits, in their respective industries including beauty, salon and barber apparatus, sewing machines, woodwork tools and photography.
One of the graduates, Khanyisa Mvoco thanked Mfesane for the skills learnt. When she joined Mfesane she was unable to do anything.
“Today, I leave this place being able to sew which was something I did not know before my arrival here. I am grateful for this opportunity as it has afforded me skills to be able to put something on the table,” she said.
Mfesane board director Nomvuyo Baba paid tribute to God for the wisdom bestowed upon them to host such an event.
“Today, you are graduates and that means the ball is in your court. How you play with that ball it depends on you,” she said.
Baba congratulated the graduates for completing their programme and urged them to move on and never look back.