Two young women are getting to step into the world of STEM thanks to the Barbie Dream Gap Project that’s making more dreams possible!

Johannesburg, South Africa (21 October 2024)— In celebration of International Day of the Girl Child, which was observed on 11 October, Barbie teamed up with the TechnoGirl Trust to empower two girls from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing them with a job shadowing, dream-building and skills development opportunity!

Focused on advancing the opportunities of girls around the world, this feat of good news is part of the Barbie Dream Gap Project in South Africa—a project that’s helping close the gender gap earlier on in life.

Since its inception in 2018, the Barbie Dream Gap Project has been dedicated to providing equal opportunities. To do this, more barriers for young girls need to be removed; a process that requires education, confidence-building leadership skills and mentorship opportunities.

The TechnoGirl Trust is a non-profit committed to advancing the educational and career prospects of underprivileged girls in South Africa. They have seen 26,172 girls go through their structured programme, with around 75% of participants, on average, advancing to register careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)!

Why STEM?

It’s no secret that fields like STEM have always been male-dominated. But, in a world that continues to reveal itself to be intertwined with technology, this stigma is one that needs to be shattered so that young women, especially those from underserved areas, are not left behind.

A lot of the hesitation for this kind of career path comes from the industry’s patriarchal reputation. That’s why it’s essential that young girls see themselves represented in these fields and further that they are provided with real-world opportunities and positive role models along the path.

Starting in Grade 9, two young teens will gain hands-on experience from professionals at IMCD offices for one week during each of their school holidays. The programme enables the girls to gain awareness about various careers, find the STEM career that they might like to go into and develop professional and life skills—all set out as part of a dream plan developed by the TechnoGirl Trust and approved by the Department of Education.

“The work readiness part of the programme was the most impactful for me, as I learnt soft skills like how to articulate myself in a work environment,” shares Felicity Dube who has gone through and benefitted from the TechnoGirl Programme herself.

“I think Barbie is committed to giving girls the resources they need, and support to believe that they can be anything. I encourage girls to keep dreaming and, make sure that they chase their dreams, asking for help when they need it,” she concludes.

Sources: Supplied 

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In an ever-changing, tough job market, ‘After School Programmes’ across the country are holding down the fort to help young South Africans level the playing field and access opportunities!

South Africa (16 October 2024) — The pressure of matric finals’ is weighted enough as it is. But it’s also one of many other pressures young South Africans face today. At the top of the pressure list is the big question: ‘What happens next?’ To which an infamously tough job market in our country stares back, often blankly.

Inflation, a recovering post-Covid market, technological advances replacing traditional jobs and a multitude of other reasons have all contributed to the bleakness of the job market for young people.

And the evidence is in the stats and social landscape of our country. South Africa has a ridiculously high unemployment rate of 32.9%. An under-resourced school system that doesn’t focus enough on bridging educational gaps that are often very wide due to underprivileged circumstances and, of course, the disproportional spread of opportunities.

But in the midst of the bleak picture is a light with huge potential to expand. That light lies in After-School Programmes (ASP) that are emerging as something of a hopeline for thousands of South Africa’s most vulnerable youth; providing them with imperative upskilling measures!

This year, the fifth annual Lights On After School campaign was launched; a campaign that’s about sharing and showcasing what ASPs are capable of. Led by non-profit The Learning Trust in partnership with the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport Youth Office, ASPs are proving to be a source of empowerment in the face of the tough job market; all while equipping future generations with resources to become adults they are proud of.

Here’s How ASPs Help

Critical Intervention

“ASPs act as critical interventions that can safeguard South Africa’s youth against significant barriers to economic participation. These programmes are stepping in to equip learners with digital literacy, technical skills and critical soft skills like problem-solving and emotional intelligence to thrive in a future workforce,” explains Charlene Petersen Voss, the Executive Director at the Learning Trust.

A Bridge for New Opportunities

While ASPs can be a bridge for educational gaps, they also act as a path for future opportunities largely through mentorship.

“The ASP sector is essential in levelling the playing field by providing access to mentorship, job shadowing, and other opportunities that are typically out of reach for marginalised youth,” Charlene says. 

For Sophumelela Ketelo, the Chairperson of the Sophumelela Youth Development Programme, an ASP in the Eastern Cape, it’s a matter of meeting young people where they’re at and bridging off from that place.

Sophumelela says that he doesn’t blame the youth for being underprepared for the ever-changing job market.

“We often expect learners to be ready for the workplace while treating them like children, which delays their growth and readiness. In some cases, everything is done for them, making it difficult for them to appreciate the efforts of those supporting them. After school prgroammes are essential in adressing this gap, offering more than just academic support. They help build the confidence, literacy and life skills that learners need to succeed in an ever-changing world,” he says.

Guiding the Youth

ASP’s roles are heavily to do with guiding young people, especially those who cannot afford tertiary education, as Louise Retief, Programme Manager for the Rogz Academy shares. Rogz, who focus on Youth Development largely through its YearBeyond Programme in partnership with the Boost Africa Foundation, have been a part of helping guide many young people toward new avenues of hope.

The YearBeyond Programme helps Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) members of the youth with over 3500 opportunities annually.  The youth are then able to support over 60,000 learners across the Eastern and Western Cape.

Expanding Access

Further opportunities for youth are created by The Learning Trust’s Catch-up Coalition, which forms part of the Social Employment Fund (SEF). Funded by the Public Employment Stimulus (PES) through the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), the SEF addresses both unemployment and education at the same time by employing young people in roles that directly enhance educational outcomes.

Through partnerships with over 50 community-based organisations, SEF has helped create more than 10,000 paid work opportunities, benefiting over 180,000 children and youth!

“In the last year of SEF, we have seen 52% of youth exiting to permanent employment, with 44% pursuing further studies,” says Petersen Voss.

“We continue to advocate for government funding for initiatives like the Social Employment Fund and National Youth Service, which not only creates job opportunities and workplace experience for young people but also addresses our education crisis.”

You can find out more about The Learning Trust here.

Sources: Supplied; The Learning Trust

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Restaurant scraps are the ingredients creating hope, thanks to Streetscapes’ clever composting project that’s helping the homeless put food on the table!

Cape Town, South Africa (16 October 2024) – Restaurant scraps have an important place in the bigger ecosystem of social upliftment if used correctly. While the unfortunate reality is that a lot of scraps simply remain scraps and become waste, there’s another side to the coin that sees scraps as an opportunity for growth. And, Cape Town-based non-profit Streetscapes is showing us how it’s done!

Cape Town is a foodie city. In fact, it was even crowned the Best Culinary Destination City at the World Culinary Awards 2024. But what if all those restaurants focused a little more on what happens after the food is plated and ready to be enjoyed?

Streetscapes’ composting project is a shining example of what’s possible when waste is viewed as a tool—an ingredient to do better for the people of the city who most need it.

Addressing two key issues, the composting project lessens environmental impact while giving their clients (the homeless) a new purpose.

Here’s how it works:

Restaurants that have teamed up with Streetscapes share their organic waste after it has been separated from other kinds of waste. It’s collected and thereafter used to create a high-quality compost where fresh vegetables can be grown and sold!

Alfonso Peterson oversees the composting work and explains that their mix is potent.

“Different waste types like coffee grounds of citrus peels break down differently, but the mix we’ve developed is incredibly potent. We’re creating a valuable product that helps grow more food,” says Alfonso.

In fact, Alfonso proposed the innovative idea to develop the compost. A beacon of hope, Alfonso was once homeless himself. But, through his own determination and the Streetscapes Programme, he now proudly rents his home and is a cornerstone of support both for the composting project and various other Streetscapes’ social development programmes.

In only a few months, the project has already shown impressive results. Nearly five tons of organic waste have been diverted from landfills, while clients have been able to reconnect with a sense of purpose—a key point in their journeys away from homelessness.

The composting project was visited by university professor Harold Tessendorf of Mercer University.  Harold noted that it was a great example of the circular economy in action, and concluded that the quality of the compost was excellent.

“There’s a real opportunity here to expand the project’s impact and sustainability,” Harold added.

Its expansion could look like another avenue for income—selling the compost itself at Streetscapes’ market for local gardeners and community members! Ultimately, the project provides a long-term opportunity for clients who have fantastic potential beyond skills-building.

Sources: Streetscapes Newsletter 

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The circular economy has created boundless opportunities for many South Africans who were at once down on their luck!

South Africa (16 October 2024) — The circular economy is a pretty hot topic in today’s terms. Not only is it one of our biggest assets in the fight to curb environmental damage caused by traditional capitalist waste, it’s also something that’s created an entirely new revenue stream for many previously disadvantaged communities; making it a win-win for socio-ecological upliftment!

What is the Circular Economy?

In a nutshell, the circular economy refers to cleverly reusing and regenerating products and materials, often in new ways, preventing items that otherwise would have ended up in landfills from getting there. These refurbished or upcycled products can then be sold to help people put food on the table and range across waste sectors—from the fashion industry’s waste to eWaste.

Upcycling-focused businesses like Bin to Beauty (who turn waste from wrappers and packets into accessories), organisations like Shoose Life, who create school shoes for students in need from waste materials and communities like Re.Bag.Re.Use who turn what were once plastic bags into fashion are fantastic examples of local upcycling legends.

Uplifting South Africans Through the Circular Economy

In addition to the above, there’s Taking Care of Business; an ever-growing social enterprise that shows us how much is possible when you put people and the planet first.

While they primarily work in fashion-focused fields, repairing and refurbishing electronic items is also a big part of their circular economy.

TCB works by empowering struggling South Africans (many of whom are unemployed mothers) to become their own bosses by facilitating not just technical skills but business and life skills.

They largely use donated retail waste items as stock for their different programmes—Resell, Repair and Remake. Participants are then trained as part of a two-year programme and thereafter, are equipped to start their own businesses!

TCB’s work is a testament to how the circular economy has uplifted struggling South Africans. Looking at figures from the past financial year, the overall picture starts to look a lot like hope:

• 2,276,542 ‘waste’ items were donated to TCB programmes
• 905 unemployed people were recruited into these programmes
• 1188 participants are active in the two-year programmes
• 986 programme graduates still access and sell the stock
• R71,8million is the estimated profits made by participants and graduates
• 86,3 tons of e-waste has been received

eWaste

Just yesterday, National eWaste Day was acknowledged—a time when eco-savvy communities reflect on the fact that more needs to be done to tackle the stream of waste that stems from our electronic devices.

eWaste is a pretty tough nut in the bigger barrel of environmental problems. Unlike fashion, the skills to repair electronic devices can be much harder to access.

But, TCB has created a model that works through its Repair Programme.

“In this programme, participants (mostly men) are taught how to repair damaged appliances for resale. They also resell cell phones and other mechanical items that would have been thrown away. His year, TCB’s Repair programme has already processed 104 tons of potential eWaste. The majority of these items have been repaired and repurposed, preventing them from ending up in landfill. A victory for eWaste management!” Shares co-founder Tracey Gilmore.

 “TCB is actively adding value by reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and repurposing supply chain waste. What we absolutely can’t use, is recycled. It is a mutually beneficial situation since waste is being turned into economic value while reducing the burden on scarce natural resources. TCB collects, debrands and redistributes this excess merchandise and retail waste without additional costs to the supply partner. These donated items have a social impact by supporting unemployed South Africans on their journey to self-employment and social and financial independence. It’s a win-win,” she says.

To keep the programme going strong, businesses and even individuals are urged to make donations of ‘stock’ to TCB. From appliances that just don’t work like they used to or old clothes that need new life, everything has a place in their ecosystem.

You can find out more about donationshere.

Sources: Supplied 

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Former Miss South Africa Natasha Joubert and the Stay YOUnique School Programme teamed up to educate school girls on their bodies as part of a big menstrual health initiative that’s tackling period poverty!

Johannesburg, South Africa (15 October 2024) — Fighting period poverty is as much about providing essential resources as it is about empowering young women to learn about their bodies. Without female-focused education in a young girl’s arsenal, she will be at risk of falling into misinformation traps about her own body, making her susceptible to myths, disempowering narratives and even shame for things that are totally normal.

For many of us, school-led information about our periods stemmed either from biology classes or from brief sex education classes, neither of which gave a woman’s body and its inner workings the full spotlight.

It takes many years for a lot of women to truly understand their body’s rhythms. But, if you’re in an underprivileged environment where information from sources beyond your community is limited and sanitary products themselves are a struggle to gain access to, the process of learning and becoming comfortable with yourself becomes greatly exasperated.

According to the World Health Organisation, around seven million school girls are unable to afford sanitary pads. This sharpens perspective as to how many young women likely face a plethora of other social challenges that stem from period poverty—including feeling confident, dignified, worthy and being informed.

In an effort to combat period poverty whilst offering educational resources to school girls, the Kotex Stay YOUnique programme, in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education, is stepping up.

This year, former Miss South Africa Natasha Joubert and Dr Nosipho Mhlanga joined forces with the programme in an effort to educate over 300 school girls on the importance of the basics; dispelling menstruation myths, breaking stigmas and making room for conversation about the importance of menstrual hygiene.

In terms of sanitary products, 68,340 learners have been reached thanks to the programme.

Says Natasha:

“It is essential to educate girls, especially about their own bodies—how to respect, care for, and track them. This way, they can detect any early signs of health issues. Normalising these conversations is crucial, particularly during the key age when they learn about their periods, something I wish I had known more about sooner.”

Natasha further implies that period poverty and education are both essential to the empowerment of young girls.

“I asked my social media followers what they wish they had learned earlier about their periods, and the responses were eye-opening. That’s why the YOUniques School Programme is so important. It not only addresses period poverty but also empowers girls to better care for themselves during their periods. I’m thrilled with how well it has been received and excited to see it expand to reach girls in even the most remote areas, educating them regarldess of their background.”

Dr Mhlanga adds:

“Period poverty is not just a women’s issue; it’s a human rights issue. Every girl deserves the right to health, equality and dignity, and it’s through collective efforts that we can make lasting change.”

Sources: Supplied 

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Angela Yeung is at her mountain expeditions once again, this time with Ama Dablam on her radar in a height-defying effort to raise awareness on gender-based violence femicide:

Koshi Province, Nepal (02 October 2024) — Angela Yeung, the legend who made history as the first South African to climb Mount Manaslu at a striking height of 8,163 metres and founder of the Impilo Collection Foundation, is preparing herself for another test of altitudes and endurance with the South African flag on her back—climbing Ama Dablam.

Situated in the eastern Himalayan range of Koshi Province in Nepal, Angela’s climb is set to be another one for the books. But, it’ll also be a climb in which she carries the spirit of others—namely those who have been impacted by the gender-based violence femicide (GBVF).

Angela will be climbing the height of 6,812 metres all to raise awareness about the harrowing world that is GBVF—a mountain many women have to climb by no choice of their own. The brave climber hopes that her efforts will channel funds toward an education program that will empower and uplift women.

“I am ready to face the mountain we are all climbing; one that symbolises the path to a young woman’s voice, and her ultimate empowerment through education,” says Angela of climb set to take place from 9 October to 3 November.

“This journey is only but a small stepping stone to the same independence and self-reliance we are all fighting for.”

The Impilo Collection Foundation extends Angela’s hopes, largely through its #EmpowerHer campaign. The collection of nearly 9,000 bras was a representation of of the height of Mount Everest—a unique pursuit of activists everywhere who stand loudly and proudly against GBVF. The campaign’s display of thousands of bras at Joburg’s Constitution Hill, along with their distribution to GBV shelters two years prior left a huge impact—an impact Angela hopes will be felt once again atop Ama Dablam.

“Ama Dablam means ‘mother’s necklace which has been very much part of my inspiration to climb for my cause; the long ridges on each side are like the arms of a mother (Ama) protecting her child, and the hanging glacier is thought of as Dablam, which is the traditional double-pendant containing pictures of the gods, worn by Sherpa women,” Angela explains.

“Our quest for anti-GBVF demands the collective efforts of supporters, followers, climbers, and allies. My gratitude goes out to all those that are helping us raise mountains together. Collectively, we will make this vision for good an impactful reality, I know it!”

Those who become benefactors of Angela’s climb will be commemorated with a special keepsake of their solidarity that symbolises the metaphorical mountains, scaled together.

Everyone who wants to take a stand against GBVF is encouraged to support the campaign (you can find it here).

Sources: Supplied 

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Learners from township schools participate in the sports league on Fridays.

Gugulethu, South Africa (30 August 2024) — In an effort to keep primary school learners off the street where they could be recruited into crime, a Gugulethu organisation has been hosting sports tournaments.

The co-founder of Siyavuselela Sports and Life Skills in Gugulethu, says through the tournaments, young people and adults are encouraged to reclaim spaces for sports.

The man asked GroundUp not to publish his name because he is scared that extortionists in the area will target him.

He says his sports programme does not just teach children to play sport, it also aims to reduce involvement in criminal activity, enhance well-being and create jobs.

Every Friday throughout the year, the organisation hosts a league for 24 schools under the 2024 Cape Flats Schools Sports and Life Skills Tournament umbrella. Teams take part in soccer, netball, chess, indigenous games, and traditional dances.

Last weekend’s competition had 135 learners from Langa, 259 from Nyanga, 456 from Gugulethu participating, said the organiser.

“The pupils also get an opportunity to interact with children from other schools and communities… Government should adopt this programme. I don’t want to be given funds, but we want the government to assist for the benefit of the young people,” said the organiser.

He said they currently fund the Friday league practices, transport for the children and the competitions “out of our own pockets”.

Soccer player Asiphile Zilingo, 12, said, “Here I can show my abilities and compete with children from other schools, and I am learning a lot.”

Coach Sihle Luzipo from Moshesh Primary School in Langa told GroundUp that the programme helps children tackle social issues they face daily. “We want these children to have and realise their dreams,” said Luzipo.

Another coach, Solwethu Mngqungu from Zimasa Primary School in Langa, said children learned discipline through the tournament, “We are diverting their attention to sport instead of roaming the streets after school and doing nothing. The children have shown interest in this programme and we don’t want to fail them. They are hungry to play.”

Sources: GroundUp

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The 50^th National Arts Festival may have drawn to a close, but more good news is on the cards for Makhanda thanks to ongoing upliftment programmes to be overseen in the town!

Makhanda, South Africa (04 August 2024)—The National Arts Festival (which celebrated 50 wonderful and important years recently) may have come to an end, but good news for Makhanda is still rolling in.

The NAF itself is part of a special collaboration aimed at empowerment through the creation of job opportunities that go far beyond the festival—the Social Employment Fund that since beginning two years ago has sparked immense positive impact!

Through the SEF, NAF manages over 2,000 previously unemployed locals at its various projects for Makhanda, with each participant paid a stipend for this part-time work. The focus is on community development, all while performing important work for the town, from maintaining and upgrading infrastructure to clearing storm water drains, fixing potholes, collecting litter, fixing schools, planting gardens, recycling waste and working for social change!

Hilton Haakonsen, Project Manager of NAF’s SEF, shares: “Participants are drawn from all areas of the community. Some even have master’s degrees, others haven’t finished school but the commonality is employment and, more importantly, skills development. SEF is about work that needs to be done and people that need work.”

How it Works

Participants are divided into groups and given various tasks for which they are trained and paid. Catching multiple butterflies with one net, the project not only offers work but work that benefits the town and the environment.

“We are extremely proud of the SEF projects which are fully integrated,’ says Monica Newton, CEO of NAF. The refuse collected is sorted, glass and plastic recycled and reused, alien vegetation is chipped, turned in compost and used in our food gardens. It’s about the projects collaborating to make ensure our efforts are successful.”

Since its inception, there has been a 90% reduction in litter along the river banks, and garbage going to the landfill has also reduced by over 20%. Additional successes include:

• Increased food security and nutrition through the establishment of 27 food gardens, including one home garden and a large market garden
• Maintenance of over 27 schools and ECD centres
• Greening the environment and clearing over 51 hectares of invasive plants

Paving Makhanda’s Future One Brick at a Time

One of the latest projects for Makhanda is a factory that’s making bricks and pavers. This began a few months ago, borne out of a need for building materials and finding alternative uses for recycled material. The bricks are produced using a mix of ground recycled glass and finely chipped plastic, mixed with cement.

Hilton says the aim is to become self-sustainable from the sale of compost, bricks and pavers.

Skills Transfer

Part of the SEF programme includes life skills training as well as teaching participants additional skills to help them perform better. Participation in work not only provides much-needed income through stipends, it also gives people entry-level work readiness skills and the confidence to seek work opportunities— vital for securing a job and enhancing enhances of becoming self-employed.

“Receiving a stipend for work done instils a sense of dignity and purpose. It reinforces the fact that participants are earning their livelihood through their efforts and contributions within their communities,’ says Monica.

“It has been incredible to watch the transformation of people, who haven’t had a job for years, earn their own money. They are not only proud of the work they are doing but are also first-hand witnesses to the difference they are making within the community.”

Through NAF’s projects, participants have gone on to gain permanent employment as team leaders, with the others employed for a few days a month on a contract period.

Why Social Employment Matters

The SEF is as ambitious as it is vital in addressing unemployment and helping foster economic resilience. To date, over 117,000 people have participated in and benefitted through SEF nationally, with 65% being young people and 70% being women. Around 65% of the work is in rural and peri-urban areas.

“Investing in social employment is not just a matter of economic policy, it is a commitment to building a more inclusive and prosperous society,” says SIvu Siwisa, Social Employment Network Campaign Manager. “From individuals to the broader community and economy, through enhanced employability, economic growth, social inclusion and reduced unemployment.”

The SEF is open to additional collaboration and partnerships and anyone keen to make a difference or to be part of the initiative can learn more here. 

Sources: Collen Mashawana

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Members of the Cwebeni cooperative trek four kilometres to harvest honey deep in the forests of the Wild Coast

Cwebeni, South Africa (19 June 2024) — It’s 7 am in Cwebeni, a small village near Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape, and 42-year-old Nonkqubela Mpumapi is preparing to trek four kilometres to harvest honey deep in the mangrove forests.

Mpumapi is a member of the Sise Cwebeni Bee Farming Cooperative, formed in 2010 by eight villagers from Cwebeni.

To visit their beehives, members of the cooperative have to walk through the Mngazana mangroves, the third largest mangrove forest in South Africa, where the hives are located.

Cwebeni is located on the periphery of the mangrove forests of Mngazana and is difficult to access via road. With very few employment opportunities and little access to basic services, most villagers rely on social grants and remittances to survive.

The catalyst for starting a beekeeping cooperative came one morning in 2008 when beekeeping volunteers visited the local school. “They went to the bush and showed us how to install bee hives. But we did not have enough understanding of bee farming then,” says Mpumapi.

This led a group of women from Cwebeni to visit the Phila Beekeeping Cooperative, formed in 2003 by eight women from Zibungu village in Libode, about an hour’s drive from Cwebeni on the R61.

“We didn’t understand that you could farm bees, but after we visited the women in Libode, I knew we could do it,” says 62-year-old Nolulamile Lazola, another beekeeper from Cwebeni.

A year after its formation, the cooperative started receiving funding from Pick ‘n Pay.

Leonora Sauls, head of philanthropy at the Ackerman Foundation, said the foundation partnered with the community to help “alleviate unemployment” in Cwebeni and “to encourage and support their enterprising spirit, in the hope that it would result in self-reliance”.

Central to the foundation’s support for the cooperative was training. Wouter Dell, a professional bee-keeper from Cape Town, was sent to help train the members and set up a processing facility for the honey.

Dell has over two decades of experience working with bees, founding BMan, a company specialising in cruelty-free bee removal. He said he first visited Cwebeni in 2010 and travelled there repeatedly over four years to train and educate the villagers about the importance of bees in the local ecosystem.

“The concept I used to teach was that if you look after the bees, then the bees will look after you,” Dell told GroundUp.

Mpumapi joked that they were “clueless about bees”.

The cooperative established a training and bottling facility for honey in Cwebeni in 2013, repurposing an unused community building. Other funders included the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and the Social Change Assistance Trust (SCAT).

In 2018, the Pick n Pay foundation exited the partnership to allow for community ownership. Tragedy struck on a dry winter night in 2020, when the co-operative’s training and processing facility burnt down with nearly all their equipment. It is unclear how the fire started.

This severely affected the operations of the co-operative and its ability to produce and bottle honey. However, the members have continued at a smaller scale.

“We lost our equipment. It was devastating. We now don’t have any place to bottle the honey,” says Lazola.

Vovo Qhuzelwa has fond memories of the cooperative’s training and processing facility. “People would come from all parts of the province to visit the centre and learn about bee farming,” he says. Before beekeeping, Qhuzelwa worked as a labourer in Durban. He says he much prefers working with bees, finding it interesting and not as physically demanding.

The cooperative now sells the honey for about R60 per 500ml to nearby Entabeni Hardware stores and to the Umngazi Hotel and Spa.

With some of the beekeepers getting old, they are struggling to walk the long distances and to carry equipment, says Lazola.

Bee-keeper Nosiseko Klaas hopes the cooperative can grow to support more members of the community. She wants to pass on her skills to the next generation.

“This has helped relieve my poverty, so it is important that the youth also get the opportunity,” says Klaas.

Sources: GroundUp

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After a chance encounter, clothes seller Zinhle’s changed forever from one where she struggled to pay her daughters’ school fees to one where she has two shops bringing in business!

Durban, South Africa (07 June 2024) — Zinhle Khanyile (42), from Durban, loved clothes and would buy used clothes from her friends and family to sell. However, without knowing how to manage a business she never had any savings and struggled to pay her two children’s school fees. That was until a chance encounter changed everything.

“I was just working to put food on the table,” says Zinhle, reflecting on life before her chance encounter. “One day I met a lady selling very nice clothing and I asked her where she got them. She told me about Taking Care of Business (TCB), so I applied and was accepted. I thought I was coming to TCB to buy clothes and go out and sell; only to find that TCB had so much more in store for me. I learnt a lot in terms of how to run a business and what it takes to be a businesswoman.”

TCB, started by Tracey Chambers and Tracey Gilmore, is a non-profit organisation that was created exactly with stories like Zinhle’s in mind. Because of their experience in the retail industry, the two Traceys knew that the high volumes of fashion waste could be put to better use, especially for unemployed women. Through different programmes, TCB helps women not only get the stock they need for their businesses, but all the support on how to make their dreams sustainable.

Zinhle recently completed the two-year Resell programme, where women are taught the business, trading and life skills they need to be resilient, successful self-employed clothing traders. Over the two years, participants are exposed to more than 1,000 hours of practical training and support, covering money management and business, computer and life skills. They also have mentoring and counselling to help them deal with personal and family issues.

Though it wasn’t easy, Zinhle says it was worth it.

Managing finances is one of the most important skills traders learn at TCB and like many others, this was Zinhle’s weakness.

“I was trained on how to manage my business and how to save. I have never saved in my life, even though I had been working for 15 years and been in good positions earning good money before; I never had any savings. At TCB they instilled in our minds to save, save, save. That was my biggest achievement,” she says. 

With her savings, Zinhle was able to pay off both her children’s school fees debt. “My daughters are in high school now. This year I even managed to pay a deposit and 10% towards the school fees at the start of the year!” 

Zinhle also learnt that it was important to have a goal. “Life is not easy, but you need to have a vision and an idea of why you are here. If you don’t, you won’t have anything to drive you and no direction to what you are working towards,” she says.

“When I started buying from TCB I was shocked, for the first three months I did really well. I saw an opportunity for a permanent space to sell my stock and now I have my own shop. At first, I was sceptical, wondering if I was going to be able to pay the rent for this space. Amazingly, I made the rent in the first week and the rest was mostly my profit. I also sell at many different flea markets and car boot sales.

“When I was creating my vision for my shop, I thought about how my shop could be different. In my area, there are a lot of student residences, and I knew this would be a good market to focus on. They want a new look for campus every day, so I look for new and different stock for them.”

Because of that chance encounter and Zinhle’s determination to make the most of the opportunities that unfolded for her, today she has two shops! She has her husband as her support system to oversee everything and she employs two women to help her.

“Before TCB, I wanted to do everything on my own because I wanted things my own way. At TCB they told us that you can’t do it all by yourself.

“Once I went through all the TCB classes, I saw that I needed someone to assist me so that I could manage the business and be focused. I needed to manage stock, attend classes, look after my children and have a personal life too. I couldn’t do everything on my own. Now I employ two ladies who assist me permanently, helping me manage my shops. It is great that I get to help other women make an income and be independent,” she says.

You can learn more about TCB here.

Sources: Supplied—TCB

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Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

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