Donation brightens future of youth
A new skills development programme has been initiated by the Community Service Committee of St Dominic Catholic Church, after they received a generous donation.
THE Community Service Committee of St Dominic Catholic Church recently received a generous donation, in the form of a steel container, from Box Clever, Westmead.
Pat Daly, the chairman of the committee, and Yvonne Lovie, are planning to use the container as a base for their skills development programme. The container has been beautifully painted and has also been installed with electricity.
“The Vuleka Trust has also assisted us by allowing us to stand the container on the Trust Centre’s property,” said Daly.
According to Lovie the committee hopes to initiate their skill development programme with an ‘up-cycling project’.
“Unemployment is a massive issue, not only in KZN, but across the country. We are teaching matriculants who are unable to finds jobs how to create Clicki Boxes from recycled coke bottles. The plastic boxes are then decorated with beads or decoupage, and the boxes can be used to store various items such as toys, cookies and potpourri,” said Lovie.
According to Lovie the project aims to target the corporate industry, the gift market as well as the wedding industry. The container will also be used to teach the pupils skills that they require to run a sustainable business, such as budgeting and ordering stock.
“This project will enable it to not only develop sustainable communities, but also reduce the amount of waste that is dumped at land fill sites,” said Lovie.
Councillor Zipani Phewa, of Ward 103, has also approached Daly and Lovie with regards to their programme.
“I hope to assist Daly and Lovie by getting the community involved in the initiative, and to help people attain the skills which will enable them to employ themselves. I applaud these ladies for incorporating recycling onto the initiative. Enabling people to acquire these skills will also cause the skills and funds to be ploughed back into the community,” said Phewa.
The Valley Trust offers a youth programme, which also develops business and employment skills among the youth.
“It seemed like a logical option to provide them with a piece of land where they could stand the container, as the Daly and Lovie’s programme runs parallel with the programme offered at the Valley Trust. This way the community will know where they can come for assistance,” said Phillipa Verbaan, of funding and marketing at the Valley Trust Centre.
