Intellectually disabled adults were given a chance to showcase their entrepreneurial skills on a market day at The Living Link.
This was part of these adults’ six months training at the organisation, and the market day was their final lesson before they head off into the job market.
The Living Link training centre is a non-profit organisation, based in Parkhurst, which caters for the intellectually disabled community regardless of race, gender and religious background. It aims to encourage, enhance and support the development of intellectually disabled adults, helping them attain a good quality of life by giving them the opportunity to get into the working world.
The Living Link supports the independence of their students and therefore offers housing for them to rent, only once they have achieved independence, security at work and financial stability. They facilitate the move of the young adults from family living to independent living in the Link community.
“Students were given the opportunity to plan and prepare a product they felt that they could sell to family, friends and the community,” explained Sally-Ann Stumbles, a trainer at Living Link.
“Through this they were able to learn about profit and loss and how to budget while making sure that their customers’ needs are met.”
So with the guidelines set out for the budding entrepreneurs, they put on a market day full of tasty treats and a car wash. The smell of chocolates, sweets, muffins, fridge tart, hot dogs, cold drinks, red velvet cupcakes, koeksisters and scones filled the classroom on market day.
“I really enjoyed today because we were able to interact with people and support each other’s businesses, and one day I would like to be an entrepreneur,” said Phakamane Zwane, a student at The Living Link.
Marketing director of the organisation, Stanley Bawden, said it was great to see the students put what they had learnt in the past six months into play. “This has given them an opportunity to see what it is to be an entrepreneur,” he said.
Stumbles added that, while she thought the day was a success, she had hoped that more community members would have come to support the students. She believed that by doing so the students would come to believe they could be successful.
Details: The Living Link 011 447 7183.
