Hope and employment now available for impoverished
A new project will give the less fortunate residents of Krugersdorp a chance to get back on their feet by providing them with jobs.
The Toolbox project has given the homeless and impoverished a chance to earn their own money, use and improve their skills, and lift themselves out of a desperate situation.
This initiative has gone a long way in assisting persons living in poverty thanks to the partnership of ward councillor Mark Trump and the Business Policing Forum.
Andrew Holdsworth, from the project, explained that the idea started in 2021 with the I am Man project but it now falls under The Bethany House Foundation and is a community-based empowerment project.
In 2021 they had six people who worked at Cowboy Town as security guards, then in 2022, they employed 19 people, 12 at Cowboy Town and seven within their agriculture sector. This year they employed 47 people, 11 in the building industry, 10 in agriculture, three bakers, and the rest in various other sectors.
At the moment they are at maximum capacity for how many people they can assist, but with extra funding, they will be able to assist 250 people.
“There is a need for community and business support,” said Andrew.
They have five sectors, security, building, agriculture, arts and culture and the food industry. This project is not merely about skills development but about employing people, giving them hope and getting them work-ready.
Danie Riekert, from the Business Policing Forum, explained that many people are living on the street who are very skilled but do not get the opportunity to work and are maybe a bit rusty. Through this project, they can sharpen their skills and make money. All the profit made during a job gets divided among the workers and apart from 30% of their funds being saved, they get all the money.
To qualify to work in the programme, you have to be part of any shelter and take part in an addiction workshop. Andrew explained that these rules are to ensure that they help those who are willing to work and not just those who want to make a quick buck.
“If I send them to work in people’s homes, I need to know they are trustworthy and hardworking.”
If you want to see some of their excellent construction work, you can visit the Tower of Life Shelter, Ikusasa Community Development, The Bethany House Trust, Camp Courage or Komatso Village. The people working at Cowboy Town also manage about 3 000 cars coming through there on a Sunday without incident.
Andrew explained that they also want to start inner city gardens and a garden service. The funding they need goes towards equipment for the various areas of employment they offer. If a small business takes off, it will also be managed by one of the people under supervision of Andrew, and that means they can move on and start a new small business.
They are also in need of a training centre and an office building and are looking for a cheap place to rent or just a building they can use for a while.
Driving along President Street, it is clear to see how clean the street is where these workers are based. Pieter said it is essential for businesses to work in synergy with this project to help make it a success.
If you have a job you would like done or are a business owner who wants to collaborate or is looking to become part of the project, contact Andrew on 060 845 2291.
