Cape Town - In an attempt to reduce unemployment and poverty in the Cape Flats, Freeway Ministries in Retreat has formed partnerships with a leading cement manufacturer and non-profit organisations to provide youths with free skills development programmes.
They are inviting youths from Muizenberg, Retreat and Elsies River to participate in the brick-making course taking place at Lakeview Community Church from 9am.
The programme aims to uplift and promote entrepreneurship among the youth, encouraging them to be proactive in changing their circumstances.
Gregory Craig from the ministries encouraged youth to take advantage of the opportunity and be part of providing solutions to issues affecting them in communities.
"We are living at a time where role models are people standing in the corners, smoking and involved in gang violence. Our youth see them as powerful and start joining them once they've nothing to do. We are giving them something they can make a living out of and possibly create a job opportunity for the next person. We're mostly targeting but not limited, to those from disadvantaged backgrounds and or in the rehabilitation process," said Craig.
One of the partners, Victor West, a co-founder of Bounce Back Community Development, said: "We're a group of non-profit organisations on a mission to change the narrative of the Cape Flats youths, trying to instil values and revive hope to the struggling individuals. It is our attempts to build good characters, away from drugs and all the social ills affecting them in our communities. Although at Bounce Back, we mainly focus on soft skill development, we venture onto partnerships like these for the betterment of our youths."
Claudine Coleridge of the Catteleya Coleridge Foundation has managed to secure space for 25 unemployed youth between the ages of 18 and 35. She said the challenge is providing transport and catering for those participating in their programmes and would appreciate donations to help them successfully render their services.