The City of Cape Town has partnered with the Western Cape government’s Community Development Workers (CDW) programme to support 10 unemployed youth in Mfuleni to become independent business owners by teaching them beadwork skills. The project aims to instil new hope and confidence in these young people by providing an opportunity to earn an income.
The City of Cape Town is happy to report that a partnership with the Western Cape Government to train unemployed youth in beadwork is showing promising results. The project, known as Bokamoso Ba Rona (Our Future) launched in October 2021 is currently being evaluated to see whether it can be rolled out throughout the City. Funding of up to R75 000 was injected into the project for buying the material.
The project specifically targets youth who are currently unemployed, and who have to contribute financially to their households. Youth were provided with 14 days training in making traditional beaded attire, as well as all the necessary materials. Training took place at Power-Child campus in Mfuleni.
The project received a boost in orders during the December holidays last year as community members took part in various celebrations (weddings, African traditional ceremonies, etc.) which required traditional beads. This has allowed the group to earn more income for themselves and their families.
The programme also assisted beneficiaries with marketing, using different social media platforms and distributing flyers. The work has been exhibited at local craft markets, and the interest shown by community members has been exceptional.
‘The CDW programme plays an important role in identifying needs and facilitating economic empowerment in communities. This project offers much more than an income. It offers the beneficiaries an opportunity to gain a life skill that no one can take away. We hope that they are able to build on their initial accomplishments and put these skills to use by building their own businesses to ensure sustainability,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.