KwaThema foundation gives back to locals
Kwatsaduza – Car wash owners from Kwatsaduza and surrounding areas attended a five-day workshop, aimed at enhancing their skills to help them enrich their business.
The training was conducted at the KwaThema Civic Centre council chambers by the Cool Dads Foundation.
CEO of the foundation, Bongani Luvalo explained that they conducted an SMME enrichment programme, for car wash owners as a way of engaging with locals, especially fathers, about aspects of positive fatherhood.
“We have a high unemployment rate and poverty that exists in the country and which is quite prevalent, especially among the youth, which leads to socio-economic issues.
“Through our research we have found that these issues are predominant among young men, especially those who father children at a young age, or young men having to care of their younger siblings and relatives,” he said.
Luvalo added that as an organisation, seeing the need for technical training, skills of the workforce and job creation, this prompted them to respond to this issue, by empowering the identified car wash owners around Ekurhuleni.
“Through this innovative entrepreneurial venture to provide the necessary skills to various car wash businesses, owned mostly by young fathers, we focused on elements of life skills, entrepreneurship, water and sanitation and mentorship.
“Measures have also been put in place to ensure effectiveness of the programme and so that these trainees will succeed in their respective businesses.
“Futhermore, after the first year of business, this programme aims at making sure 90 percent of the businesses have proper and strong mechanisms put in place to ensure that they become suitable businesses,” he said.
The entrepreneurs were also given some equipment to help grow and better their business while they were further promised regular visits by the foundation to monitor their progress.
Some of the business owners attending the training thanked the foundation for the experience and mentorship, stating that what they had learnt will help them in running their business professionally going forward.
“It is great knowing that there are people out there who want to help and see us succeed and through this, we have been empowered to prosper.
“We have learnt how to making a living, grow our businesses, ways of interacting with staff and clients and how make our companies more professional.
“This is truly a turning point for us as local business people and the fact that the foundation has systems in place to monitor and mentor us will help us to be accountable,” said local businessman, Thokozani Mbonani (30).
